REDEMPTION
by YoungStarsOwner
Summary: For Kathryn Sullivan, everything was going great until she was abducted by The Covenant and came face to face with the life she never knew existed. spyfam CIA sark & more COMPLETE
1. Chapter One

Authors Notes: This is my first Alias fanfic so I'd love some comments good and bad. As usual I don't own anything except characters I make up. So please Read and Reply and good and bad comments are wonderfully accepted.  
  
I just accidentally deleted the story so now I have to repost it and I lost ALL your comments so please reply with comments even if you replied before cause well now I'm mad at myself and wining! LoL  
  
Redemption takes place after The Telling BUT Sydney never went missing for 2 years. Francie is still dead and Will recovered from his injuries. They caught Sloane, Irina is still on the loose and so is Sark. Syd and Vaughn are together Dixon is no longer a field agent (except on rare occaisions maybe) and Weiss is now a field agent and Lauren? whose Lauren? Never heard of her!  
  
REDEMPTION  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
Los Angeles  
  
Sydney Bristow brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her last day of vacation was almost over. Being an agent for the CIA didn't allow for much off time and even when she did manage to get a few days off they were usually interrupted; with the exception of this time that was.  
  
The sun was setting low over the mountains; a mirage of red, pink and purple hues captured her attention. They blended together, a mosaic of beauty unveiled for the world to see. She wiped the sweat from her cheek and left a dark smudge. Standing up she stretched her limbs and then began preparing her equipment for the climb down. The musical tones of her cell phone interrupted the quietness of dusk and groaning she reached for it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Sydney hi," Jack Bristow sat on the edge of his desk flipping through a file. "I'm sorry to disturb your vacation but. we need you at operations, immediately."  
  
"Dad, I'm up in the mountains, it's going to take hours for me to get down."  
  
"We have your coordinates, a helo will be there in five."  
  
"Alright, see you there." Sydney hung up and began unhooking her safety equipment, so was the end of her vacation.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Sydney entered the office and proceeded to the back where the other agents were waiting for her. She took her seat and grabbed a tissue from the table wiping the dirt from her face.  
  
"Thank you for coming in Sydney," Dixon entered the room and began handing out files.  
  
Sydney took hers from Weiss and handed another to Vaughn who sat beside her. She opened her folder and scanned the contents fingering a blurred color photograph. She looked up to her computer screen as Dixon began explaining the mission.  
  
"This is Kathryn Sullivan," Dixon sat down opening his own folder. "25 minutes ago, Intel received an unknown feed detailing the pending abduction of this girl. At this point we don't know exactly who or why they are taking her only that she is important to whomever, first suspicious do lead to The Covent. She's 17, living in Greenwich Village New York."  
  
"She's certainly colorful," Weiss commented looking at the photograph. The girls shoulder length brown hair was streaked blue, purple and pink.  
  
"Do we know her?" Sydney asked looking intently at the photograph searching every inch of it; there was something familiar about her.  
  
"No," Dixon shook his head. "We know nothing about her. She's 17 her father Paul Sullivan died when she was four; he committed suicide and her mother Alison Porter died in a convience store robbery when she was five. She was put into foster care shortly after, has no relatives and was emancipated at age 16. Straight A student, she finished highschool two years early by correspondence. She works as a waitress and singer at a restaurant on the East Side. That's it, she has no criminal record, nothing, even her foster care record is clean."  
  
"Then why does, whoever it is want her so badly?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"That's what you are going to find out," Dixon began handing out the second set of files. "I want you and Sydney to go in. She gets off work at 1 am grab her once she's home. Whoever it is isn't planning on picking her up until tomorrow night but they will be watching her so be prepared for defense. Weiss, I want you to go in with surveillance, I don't want anything to stop us from getting this girl. Marshall-"  
  
Marshall stood up awkwardly and nodded to everyone pulling out his latest device. "Simple tube of lipstick right, you know use it if you were going out for the night, date or high class mission. Perfect color right Syd? Syd?"  
  
"What?" she looked up at him bewildered. "Red, right perfect color Marsh."  
  
"Everything alright Sydney?" Dixon asked concerned.  
  
"Yeah, fine," she nodded fingering the photograph of the girl responsible for their pending mission. "She just looks so sad.What would they want with her, she's just a kid."  
  
"Sydney Concentrate!" her father's voice was gruff and Sydney snapped her attention back to Marshall. "Continue Marshall."  
  
"Uh-Yes, thank you," he stammered nodding at Jack. "As I was saying perfect lipstick or so you think." He picked up the lipstick and began a demonstration. "You're going to want to be careful with this one. Twist it once, you get the regular lipstick. Twist twice you get a sleeping dose one touch and whoever got it is out cold for at least 20 minutes. Twist three and it's a laser, it'll cut through anything but you have to press this button here to activate it so you will want to be careful with that."  
  
"Great," Syd nodded and took the lipstick from him.  
  
"Alright people, lets move out, The helo leaves in ten."  
  
Sydney followed the others out of the office but her father grabbed her arm pulling her back in. "What was that?" he asked harshly. "She looks sad.? Sydney have you lost your focus?"  
  
"No!" she shook her head and pulled the photograph out of the file. "She looks sad Dad. Doesn't she look the least bit familiar to you?"  
  
Jack glanced at the photograph, Sydney was right, the girl did seem sad, her smile was false but it was her eyes that captivated you. She did look familiar to him, his daughter was right but he was sure he'd never seen her before. "Sydney, how she looks is irrelevant, your mission is to find and extract her. End of it."  
  
Sydney slid the photograph back into her folder. "I'll see you when we get back."  
  
"Good luck," he nodded to her as she left the office. Walking back to his own office he sat down and opened the file. The picture was slightly blurred taken from a security camera, her streaked hair covered half her face but his daughter was clearly correct, she did look familiar. The question was where.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
New York Sydney and Vaughn quickly walked up the path to Kathryn Sullivan's apartment building. Sydney clicked on her communications device. "HQ, this is Mountaineer all clear?"  
  
"All clear Mountaineer," Weiss checked the security cameras from the outside of the building. He was stationed several streets down in an abandoned building keeping an eye on the mission. "Boyscout & Mountaineer, you are ready to go."  
  
Vaughn nodded to Sydney and pulled out his lock picking kit suddenly she grabbed his hand. "What?"  
  
"Something's wrong," Syd pointed to the scratched lock, someone had already broken in. Drawing their guns, they proceeded inside.  
  
"What's up Boyscout?" Weiss stood up putting his headset on.  
  
"Someone's already broken in," Vaughn whispered as he and Sydney made their way up the stairs to Kathryn's apartment. "Check the security cameras for the past two hours, find out when." Vaughn opened the apartment door and with their guns drawn, he and Sydney entered. "They've got her," Vaughn surveyed the damaged room.  
  
"Just confirmed," Weiss paused the security camera. "She must have finished work early so they changed the plans, They took her over two hours ago. She put up a hell of a fight." "I'd say, we're going to check the place out see if we can find anything to lead us to her. Call Dixon, we'll be down in five."  
  
"Vaughn," Sydney pointed at the smashed unlabeled vials once containing a liquid of some sort that was spread across the living room floor. He knelt down and found one that was unbroken and slipped it into his pocket. She scanned Kathryn's bedroom, it was empty, almost unlived, were it not for the dirty clothes in the hamper, she would have doubted that anyone lived there at all. She was about to leave the room when a photograph on the bedside table caught her attention. A small ragdoll was leaning against the lamp and in front of it a photograph. Her breath caught in her throat as she picked up the doll and then the photograph and removed it from the frame.  
  
"Syd, Let's go!" Vaughn stood in the doorway. Sydney nodded and followed him out of the building.  
  
"Did you find anything?" Sydney asked as they got in a waiting car.  
  
"Just the vile, the place was pretty bare, looks like they grabbed everything else. What's that?" he asked pointing at the doll.  
  
"This.. Oh I forgot I was holding it," Syd stuffed the doll into the bag at her feet and silently folded the photograph slipping it into her pocket. Sydney was silent for the remainder of their trip to the launch pad and then the helo ride home. None of it went unnoticed by either Agent Vaughn or Agent Weiss.  
  
Los Angeles  
  
Back at the Operations Center, Sydney, Vaughn and Weiss immediately went to Dixons office for briefing. Sydney waited outside the door for her father. "I need to talk to you before the brief," Sydney grabbed his arm pulling him away from the office door.  
  
"Can't this wait?" Jack asked following Sydney into his office.  
  
"No it can't," Sydney closed the door and began pacing the floor. "Did you find anything else out about Kathryn Sullivan? Or her parents?"  
  
"No," Jack shook his head. "It's like she never existed, only essential info can be found, birth certificate, school record, her D.C.S. file is even bare no idea why she was emancipated, nothing. The only thing we did verify is that The Covent is responsible for her abduction."  
  
"I think I may have found out why they want her," Sydney took a deep breath and unfolded the photograph. Her hands shaking she slowly passed it to her father. "It's her isn't it," not waiting for an answer she spoke again. "Turn it over."  
  
Jack followed her instructions and read the inscription on the back, "Mom & Katy, Summer 1991." He couldn't speak.  
  
Sydney began pacing again, "I mean I knew she looked familiar but I never imagined," she stopped and faced Jack again. "Is it her? Dad is it her?"  
  
"Yes-I mean, It looks like her, It could be her." Jack drummed his fingers on the desk. "I can't be sure but its probable that it is her-" Jack was cut off by a knock on the office door and Marshall poked his head in.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt you," Marshall was his usual awkward self. "Agent Bristow, Sydney, Dixon wants you both in the briefing room."  
  
"We'll be right there Marshall," Jack stood and walked to the door, he held it open for Sydney. "If the girl is who you think she is, then she needs our help."  
  
Sydney nodded and followed Marshall and her father to the briefing room.  
  
"Sydney, Jack, thank you for joining us." Dixon passed each of them a file. We have received confirmation that The Covent is responsible for the abduction of Kathryn Sullivan. We have a source in Bangkok with their operation that has confirmed that she is being held there. But still no leads on why. Agent Vaughn said that her apartment was pretty much wiped clean."  
  
Sydney nodded in confirmation. "I sent a cleaning crew in to get whatever is left."  
  
"Good work," Dixon continued with the briefing. "I want you and Vaughn to lead a rescue team. Go in, get her and get out-" He was cut off by Jack who stood up and began to speak.  
  
"Sydney found something at her apartment that The Covent apparently missed." Jack passed the photograph to Dixon who then passed it along to the others. "If the inscription on the back of the photograph is correct, which at this point I have no reason to doubt its authenticity, it could explain the girls abduction. The photograph was taken in 1991, It is Kathryn when she was four or five and with her, is her mother Alison Porter, also known as Irina Derevko."  
  
Dixon eyed the photograph, "that would explain a lot. We have no way of knowing what she knows if she knows anything at all or exactly why they took her, all precautions necessary will be taken."  
  
"You may have another problem," Marshall handed Dixon a set of lab results. "These are the test results of the vile Vaughn took from her apartment. It's insulin, black market insulin actually, that's why it wasn't labeled. She couldn't afford the real stuff so she had to use the no name brand. Your abductee is diabetic. My niece has diabetes, so that's why I know-well guess you didn't really need to know that."  
  
"I checked with her work and she left early last night because she wasn't feeling well," Weiss said. "Maybe her sugar was low?"  
  
"Based on the dosage and strength, she's a moderate to severe diabetic," Marshall continued. "If she doesn't get the insulin on time, she could go into shock or a diabetic coma," He handed Vaughn a large syringe. "I duplicated her dosage and altered it slightly, give it to her as soon as you find her, if she's missed a dose it should take care of it."  
  
Vaughn nodded and put the syringe in his vest pocket. He gave Sydney a reassuring smile as Dixon explained their plan of approach. They were holding the girl in a basement of a nightclub, Sydney, Vaughn and Weiss would go in. Weiss would take control of the security cameras, while Sydney and Vaughn would search for the girl and any relevant computer information. Jack would await their return and meet them at the landing strip and Marshall would monitor all communications coming from the nightclub.  
  
Sydney struggled to maintain her concentration as Marshall presented his new device and Dixon went over the mission specs and location. If Irina Derevko really was Kathryn's mother, which according to the photograph it appeared to be so, then Sydney had a sister, and the thought of not knowing what Kathryn knew or didn't know or why The Covent took her, scared Sydney to death. 


	2. Chapter Two

REDEMPTION  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
Sydney, Vaughn and Weiss entered the nightclub in Bangkok and immediately split up. Weiss and Vaughn made their way in to the back where they took out the security guards and Weiss maintained control of the booth. Sydney scanned the crowds looking for anyone she could recognize, anyone suspicious. There was nothing. She tucked an unruly strand of hair behind her ear and took a seat at the bar. She ordered a drink and continued searching for unusual behavior. Her entire focus was on this mission, yet she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they failed. Her uncertainty shocked even her.  
  
"Mountaineer, get a good look at that bartender," Vaughn's voice broke through breaking her concentration.  
  
"Why is that?" Sydney asked softly. She turned around and adjusting her camera glasses to ensure she got a close up of the bartender.  
  
"Cause if he looks down your dress one more time, I want a picture so I can identify him and pummel him later," Sydney rolled her eyes and heard Weiss snickering in the background. She adjusted the top of her sparkling red dress and grabbed her drink, moving out near the booths in the corner.  
  
"Boot Camp, are you finding anything?" Sydney sat in one of the corner booths.  
  
"Yeah," Marshall began typing on his laptop. "I'm monitoring all incoming and outgoing phone calls, you know some of the stuff you hear is just, well wrong is the only word that comes to mind. Well anyway there is quire a bit of power coming from the second sublevel, it'll be the fourth door on the right. That's where they've got her."  
  
"Are you ready to rock?" Vaughn came up beside her and took her hand.  
  
"And roll," Sydney set her glass down and the two began dancing to the fast pace beat. They made their way over to the employee entrance and slipped by unnoticed. "Let's find her and get out of here; I hate Bangkok."  
  
"I have to agree with that," Weiss commented watching the security cameras. "You have one man armed coming up on the right corner up ahead."  
  
Flattening themselves against the wall Vaughn and Sydney waited for the armed guard to turn the corner before taking him out quickly and quietly. Compared to other missions the security seemed inadequate, Sydney and Vaughn only took out three more guards before they found the room where Kathryn Sullivan was. Vaughn shot two guards that were in the room before getting to Kathryn.  
  
Sydney took a quick glance at Kathryn, her eyes were closed and she was ashen white, her entire body covered in a slick sweat. Had it not been for her shallow breathing, Sydney would have thought her dead. Placing a wireless device on top of the laptop Sydney began uploading the computer contents onto a secure server, directly to the CIA Operations Center. "How is she?" she asked.  
  
Using a key found on one of the guards, Vaughn undid the metal clasps that confined Kathryn to the chair. "She's alive, barely." Standing near her head, Vaughn began preparing the syringe Marshall had given him. "Kathryn, wake up, come on kid, wake up" he slapped her cheeks several times and her eyelids fluttered open but only briefly. Taking her arm he quickly injected the insulin. "How's it going?" he asked Sydney.  
  
"Done," She shut the laptop and inserted the copied disk into her bag.  
  
"No change," Vaughn shook his head. He held Kathryn's arm up to show Sydney, "Look at these burns, they actually tortured her. Looks like they gave her something, The truth serium maybe."  
  
"And got it on tape," Sydney pointed at the video camera which was set up in the corner of the room. Stopping it she took the tape out and put it in her bag. "At least we'll know what they know-Vaughn!"  
  
Kathryn began shaking uncontrollably. "Turn her on her side." Sydney and Vaughn turned Kathryn on her side as she continued to seize uncontrollably.  
  
"Boyscout? Mountaineer? What's going on?" Dixon nervously tapped his fingers on the edge of his desk. He and Jack watched the security feed Weiss had tapped into from the Los Angeles CIA Operations Center.  
  
"Boyscout, Mountaineer, you've got three armed guards on their way, ETA 1 minute," Weiss began packing up his set up. "Move your butts out now!"  
  
"Base Camp, target is having a seizure," Vaughn responded. "Marshall are you there?"  
  
Marshall nearly fell out of his chair, "Yes Michael, Mr.-Agent Vaughn," he stammered.  
  
"This stuff you gave her isn't working, no change at all. She's unconscious and her pulse is weak" Vaughn and Sydney pulled out their guns preparing for the three men coming their way.  
  
"Wait till you get on the plane, if her condition still hasn't changed than give her a second dose but no more than that." Marshall checked his computer, "You need to get out of there now, two trucks of armed men are on their way in at least twelve of them."  
  
Vaughn and Sydney waited until the three armed guards had come into the room before fighting them. Two went down easily loosing consciousness, the third proved to be more stubborn and a bullet was the only thing that stopped him. "Vaughn let's go," Sydney tossed him his gun and he pulled Kathryn up and over his shoulder. "Weiss, we're heading out,"  
  
"Already ahead of you, see you at the extraction point." Weiss packed up the rest of his equipment. "Four guards coming up on your left."  
  
"Thanks Weiss, see you in five," Vaughn set Kathryn down and he and Sydney took down the four guards.  
  
"Vaughn lookout!" Sydney barely had enough time to get the words out as a guard came around the corner firing. The guard was immediately silenced by a sleeping dart right to the chest. Turning around they saw Kathryn shaking as she slowly lowered the dart gun she'd taken from one of the downed guards lying to her left.  
  
"Good shot," Vaughn commented taking the dart gun away from her,  
  
"I try," her voice shook weakly, "who are you?"  
  
"CIA, Agents Vaughn & Bristow at your service," Vaughn pulled her up and put her over his shoulder once more.  
  
"What the hell." Kathryn's voice trailed off.  
  
"She's unconscious again," Sydney said following behind Vaughn as they proceeded to one of the side doors. "I can't believe she made that shot, she can't even keep her eyes open."  
  
"Base Camp, this is Boyscout," Vaughn and Sydney began running to the extraction point with Weiss and several other tact agents following close behind. "ETA two minutes to extraction, we have the package and she is alive."  
  
"Good work, Boyscout, I will meet you at the extraction drop off," Jack slid his headset off and sat back in his chair breathing a sigh of relief. "That almost seemed too easy," he said quietly.  
  
"I know what you mean," Dixon nodded. "Either she's not really that important to them, or they didn't have a clue that anyone else knew about her."  
  
"Id like to debrief her myself," Jack was silent for several moments before speaking again. "If she is Irina Derevko's daughter than she might know more than we think she does."  
  
"I understand, just remember Jack that she may be entirely innocent and has no idea who her mother really was."  
  
"Understood," Jack stood up getting his coat. I'm going to the drop off point to meet them, I don't want this girl out of my sight."  
  
"Jack-Mr. Bistrow," Marshall came running out of his office nearly crashing into the two men.  
  
"What is it Marshall?"  
  
He handed Jack a bottle of orange juice; "you'll probably need this for the girl. It's just a bottle of orange juice, well except for I modified it slightly, it'll give her a little extra boost."  
  
'Thank you Marshall," Jack slipped the juice into his pocket and left the Ops center. He drove around for a while, needed to clear his head and get things prioritized in his mind and decide exactly what he would tell Kathryn Sullivan, about her mother, her kidnapping, about everything.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Kathryn groaned loudly and her eyes opened briefly as Vaughn put her down and her head hit the floor of the helicopter hard. He began unloading his gear and tossed Weiss the second syringe. "Give her this," he asked helping Sydney take off her tact gear.  
  
Weiss took the syringe and slowly began inserting it into Kathryn's arm suddenly she opened her eyes and his world went black. 


	3. Chapter Three

Redemption  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Hearing Weiss' cry Vaughn turned around and saw his friend out cold. "What happened?"  
  
"He was giving her the needle and she decked him," one of the tact agents leaned over and checked Weiss' pulse. "Two fists right in the eyes, that's really going to leave a shiner."  
  
Vaughn chuckled, "knocked out by a semi conscious teenager, Weiss is going to love that."  
  
Sydney checked Kathryn; "she's out again."  
  
Vaughn picked up the syringe and finished the injection. "A good shot and a nasty right hook, makes you wonder what else we don't know about her.."  
  
"I'm a complicated girl," she winced as Sydney applied a cool compress to the burns on her right arm.  
  
"Sorry," Sydney apologized and wrapped the compress with gauze. "Are you in or out?" she asked speaking of her level of consciousness.  
  
"In, for the moment," she smiled faintly. "They gave me something, I don't know what it was but it hurt like a bitch. I need sugar."  
  
Sydney and Vaughn searched around but couldn't find any candies or anything to give her. "It's okay," she whispered. "I can wait." Her vision was blurred but cleared momentarily as she blinked. "Do I know you?" she asked Sydney who was wrapping up her other arm.  
  
Sydney's eyes met Vaughn's momentarily before she responded her voice shaking. "No Katy, I don't think so."  
  
"You remind me of someone," she smiled faintly. Sydney didn't respond and Kathryn could tell that there was something else, something she wasn't saying. "Only my mom called me Katy-"  
  
"Hey what about this?" Vaughn interrupted holding up a melted Kit Kat chocolate bar he'd found in his bag.  
  
"Perfect," Katy opened her mouth and eagerly sucked the chocolate remnants off his finger. She shook her head refusing more chocolate. "In a minute. What did you give me? The needle?"  
  
"It's insulin," Sydney spread a blanket over Kathryn and took her hand squeezing it gently.  
  
"It's not working."  
  
"Give it some time," Vaughn held out another chocolate finger which she accepted.  
  
"I can't feel my legs," Katy said softly and looked up at Sydney.  
  
Sydney gave her a quick smile and took her hand squeezing it gently within her own. She was sure that there must have been some kind of mistake. Kathryn Sullivan was just a scared vulnerable girl, who didn't deserve anything that was happening to her, she couldn't possibly be a threat to anyone. "Its probably just from the drug they gave you." She gave Kathryn a reassuring smile. "It will wear off, you're going to be fine, just close your eyes and rest." Sydney stroked her hair softly and Kathryn's eyes slowly shut, moments later she was unconscious again. "Vaughn-" Sydney slowly brought her hand up from under Katy's neck, it was covered in blood.  
  
Vaughn checked Katy's pulse, it was low and weak but steady enough he then turned her onto her side and checked the wound at the base of her scull. "Sydney, she's going to be fine, It's just a scratch." He swallowed hard and squeezed Syd's hand reassuringly. "She'll be fine, don't get ahead of yourself."  
  
"I know," she nodded. She blinked away some tears, not knowing if they were coming from sheer exhaustion or from this girl who could potentially, could possibly, be her sister.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Jack sat in the car at the landing strip. The helicopter would be there any minute and he still didn't have a clue as to how to handle the situation, should he tell the girl about her mother? If indeed Irina Derevko was her mother that was. It was a difficult situation not even knowing why the Covent had taken her in the first place, if she was a liability, would The Covent come after her, there were a lot of possibilities and a lot of unanswered questions. There was one thing that he kept returning to, The Covent wouldn't have taken her if she didn't know something and he was determined to find out exactly what that was.  
  
He got out of the car as the helicopter approached and waited until the propellers had slowed before walking up to the chopper. The tact team got out first followed by Weiss who was holding an icepack to his eyes and then Sydney. He handed her the bottle of orange juice. "One of Marshall's cocktails."  
  
"Great, she needs it." Sydney unscrewed the lid on the bottle.  
  
"Jack, can you take her?" Vaughn passed Kathryn to him and got out of the helicopter. "She's been in and out of consciousness the entire trip, but right now she's awake."  
  
Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. The girl was a mess; blood caked her multicolored hair and covered half her face; her face was slick with sweat and she shivered. Her eyes were red and swollen and moving her hair aside revealed a nasty gash on her left temple- and that was just her face.  
  
Sydney held the bottle of orange juice as Kathryn drank it until she began gagging and choking, spitting it back up.  
  
"Alright, that's enough," Jack's voice broke the silence and Sydney closed the bottle. "We're going to take her back to the Op Center for debriefing, Dixon called a doctor, she'll meet us there." Gently Jack set her down inside the limo and got in followed by Vaughn and Sydney. "Has she said anything?" he asked Sydney.  
  
She shook her head, "nothing that makes any sense anyway."  
  
The ride to the CIA Operations center was quiet; each agent was lost in their own thoughts piecing together the day's events. Upon arriving at the Center, Jack carried Kathryn inside and put her on the couch in his office where the doctor treated her.  
  
The mission debriefing was quick; everyone was exhausted just wanting to get home, into a hot shower and a few hours of sleep. Sydney had to avert her eyes at points as they watched the recorded footage of Kathryn; she'd taken from the video camera. None of the guards or other men in the video matched their computerized database. They'd given her The Truth Serum; a painful injection designed to get the receiver of the serum to tell the truth. It hadn't worked Kathryn's answers to their questions were still the same, no matter how many times they asked her, or what they did. Holding a candle to her skin until she screamed hadn't worked and neither had the sharp pins inserted into her shoulders and chest. Kathryn Sullivan was just an innocent victim in a world she knew nothing about.  
  
"Dad?" Sydney approached her father after he had finished speaking with the doctor. "How is she?"  
  
"Asleep." Jack sat down on a chair. "The doctor cleaned her up, washed her hair and stitched up the back of her head. She changed the bandages on her burns and pulled quite a bit of glass out of her feet, her captor apparently decided that giving her shoes was deemed inappropriate. The doctor gave her something to help her sleep for the time being. I'm going to stay here and question her when she wakes up."  
  
"I'll stay-"  
  
"Sydney, no," Jack shook his head. "Go home, get some sleep, we won't know anything until morning anyway. I have work to do."  
  
Sydney nodded and turned to leave, "Dad, go easy on her, she's been through a lot."  
  
Jack nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Good Night."  
  
Going into his office Jack paused briefly near the doorway and watched Kathryn sleep for several moments. He took off his suit jacket and covered her with it before sitting down at his desk. He wasn't sure how long he watched her before he finally turned to his computer and continued his quest for information about Kathryn Sullivan, Paul Sullivan, Alison Porter and something called The Contessa. 


	4. Chapter Four

Authors Note: Hey everyone, not sure if anyone is reading this fic and just doesn't want to leave comments, so if anyone is reading just comment and let me know that someone is reading. On another note: I just realized I spelt Irina's name wrong in the other chapters so its now correct sorry guys, I love Lena Olin though!!! She is one of the best actresses I have ever seen! So please read and respond comments good and bad! Oh BTW I had fun writing the banter between Jack and Kathryn I wanted to make it longer but I couldn't so expect more of it.!  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Jack Bristow rubbed his tired eyes and checked his watch. It was nearly dawn, he'd been working for hours and still wasn't any closer to discovering any new major information about Kathryn Sullivan. He was certain that Alison Porter was one of his ex-wives aliases and that she was Kathryn's Mother, thus making Kathryn his stepdaughter. Technically, as legally he was still married to Irina Derevko, well Laura Bristow that was.  
  
Kathryn was born and lived all her life in New York City. When she was four, her father Paul Sullivan committed suicide, his wife had found him. Red Flags immediately went up in Jack's mind. Where Irina Derevko was concerned, murder was always a possibility. She'd killed twelve CIA agents that they knew of, including Michael Vaughns father. A little over a year after her husbands suicide, Alison Porter was killed during a robbery at the variety store where she worked. Obviously the robbery and murder were staged, as at this very moment Irina Derevko was indeed alive and well.  
  
Kathryn entered foster care a few weeks later after the Department of Social Services found that she didn't have any relatives. Her foster record was clean; almost suspiciously clean. There weren't any records of why her living situation changed so often or even why she was emancipated at such a young age. Her school record was another astounding achievement. Straight A's all the way through school a 95% or higher score on every test and report card. She'd finished her last two years through correspondence and graduated two years early. The only flaw in her perfect academic record was during the ninth grade when her test scores were investigated for cheating. Her early report cards showed signs of social isolation, Jack had no doubts that they were true even to this day. Kathryn seemed to be a bit of a loner, she had friends sure but she was still guarded. She clearly had trust issues for which her reasons were unknown. Her records showed nothing out of the ordinary to explain her emancipation. She'd held the same job for over a year working as a waitress and nighttime singer at a lounge type restaurant on the Upper East Side. Jack had no doubt her wage was decent and her tips must have been good enough to afford her apartment and living expenses  
  
Jack was stonewalled when he searched for The Contessa. Having no idea what it even was to begin with didn't help, but no amount of decoding or searching gave him any results. Feeling a set of eyes on him he looked up and there was silence.  
  
"Hi," Kathryn said softly.  
  
"Hello Kathryn," Jack stood up and slowly moved his chair over to the couch and sat down across from her.  
  
Kathryn sat up on the couch gently rubbing her sore neck. "Who are you? Where am I?"  
  
"Agent Jack Bristow," He reached into his pocket and turned on a small recorder. "You're at the Los Angeles CIA Operations Center.  
  
"Bristow?"  
  
"You met my daughter last night," Jack explained. "She and Agent Vaughn found you in Bangkok where you were being held and brought you back here. How are you feeling?"  
  
She shrugged, "tired, shaky."  
  
Jack stood up and retrieved a syringe, alcohol wipe and elastic from his desk and handed them to her. "The doctor said you'd probably need this when you woke up, its insulin."  
  
"Thank you," she said gratefully. Jack returned to his desk and opened a small built in fridge retrieving a bottle of water. "I need to talk to you about your kidnapping-" He returned to Kathryn and saw her struggling to open the alcohol wipe, her hands were shaking so badly she couldn't even grip the package. "Would you like some help?" he asked setting the bottle of water down on the floor.  
  
"Thanks," she said and turned her head away as Jack cleaned a spot on her arm and tied the large rubber band around her arm. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as the needle pierced her skin.  
  
"Done," Jack released the elastic and handed her the bottle of water.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"How are your legs?"  
  
"They're fine now," she started to stand up but lost her balance and Jack stood and grabbed her waist to steady her.  
  
"Careful," Jack held her still as she regained her balance and for the first time got a good look at her. Her captors hadn't been that kind to her, though it could have been worse. Without her streaked rainbow hair, it was clear as day to Jack that this girl was Irina Derevko's daughter. Her hair was the same color as his daughter's medium brown with lighter streaks of honey, caramel and auburn, but hers had more red than Sydneys did. Her eyes were identical to Irina's, a slightly lighter shade than Sydneys but having the same flecks of gold. Her complexion was fair; a few faint freckles danced across the bridge of her nose and her cheekbones.The resemblance to Sydney was uncanny, were it not for the large age difference one could safely assume they were twins.  
  
Feeling his eyes on her Kathryn nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Jack sucked in a breath seeing this; it only reaffirmed what he already knew to be true. He could remember the several hundreds of times he'd seen his ex-wife and daughter perform that exact task. She was a good deal smaller than he would have expected; he guessed she couldn't have been any more than 5 feet. The top of her head only reached his chest and she was at least a foot shorter than his own daughter Her entire body structure was small and delicate; she probably was often mistaken for a young teenager of only 12 or 13. She was still dressed in her waitress uniform consisting of a short black, skirt-slightly flared and a slim fitted white blouse. She was barefoot, her feet wrapped in gauze was the only evidence of the shards of glass that had once been embedded there. Both her arms were bandaged in various places from the burns that had left her skin on fire. Her wrists and ankles were black and blue, red and raw from being shackled so tightly. Her right cheek was scraped and an ugly bruise had already presented itself, there and another dark bruise at her temple was visible near her hairline. What Jack couldn't see were the many scrapes bruises and marks all over her stomach and her back, courteously left there by the guard who'd decided to use her body as a soccer ball.  
  
He made her nervous, he knew that but still found it difficult to pull his eyes away from her. Each time he looked at her eyes, he felt like he was looking into the past. She wasn't his past however, he had nothing to do with her, she was just a kid, but he still found it difficult to believe that in all the time that Irina Derevko was in CIA custody, she had never mentioned that she had another child.  
  
"Can you tell me what's happening?" her soft voice broke through breaking the nervous silence.  
  
"Actually, I was hoping you could." Jack sat down again and Kathryn tucked her legs under her. "We watched the footage that was taken when you were kidnapped, but it still didn't give us any answers as to why exactly they took you."  
  
"Who are they?" she asked.  
  
"I can't answer that."  
  
"Okay. Why is the CIA interested in what happens to me?"  
  
"I'm afraid I can't answer-"  
  
"Then tell me Mr. Bristow what exactly can you answer?"  
  
"The CIA is not at liberty-"  
  
"Screw the CIA!" Kathryn stood up and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Armed men came into my home, threatened to kill me, knocked me unconscious and took me to Bangkok. And when I couldn't answer their questions they decided to try beating the answers out of me. Yes the CIA found me and brought me back here, so please don't think that I am ungrateful for that, but excuse me if I do not have much trust in the CIA at the moment. So if I don't answer your questions are you going to beat it out of me?"  
  
Jack was impressed at the control she kept over herself, her voice was clear and steady despite how upset and scared she was. "Of course not. Ms. Sullivan, your co-operation is imperative to finding out who-"  
  
"It's a two-way street. You answer my questions and I will answer yours."  
  
"Ms. Sullivan, Sit Down!" Jack ordered and reluctantly she obeyed. "The CIA has every intention of doing whatever we can to find out why you were abducted. That said you need our help and we need yours but you are going to have questions that I simply can not answer at risk of National Security or for your own safety. The fact that you are even in this building at all is a risk but without knowing why you were taken we have no choice, so I suggest that you calm down so we can find some answers."  
  
Kathryn was silent for several moments before she spoke again. "They kept asking me about The Contessa, what is it?"  
  
So did you like it, hate it? Please let me know.  
  
Some hints for the next chapter, Weiss gets a little embarassed, Kathryn, Jack and Syd get surprises and soon Sloan & Sark will pop up!  
  
Comments Good and Bad are wanted lol 


	5. Chapter Five

AUTHORS NOTE: So I'm rewatching some season two eps and the ep where Vaughn gets sick, it's called The Counter agent. Anyone know what the two songs in that episode were? The song when Syd was taking a blood sample from Vaughn and the other at the end of the episode when Syd and Vaughn were talking.  
  
Thanks for the feedback guys, I know some people read but just don't comment (I'm guilty of it sometimes) so I'm glad to know that people are reading. It makes me happy! I don't know who he is but in this chapter I called him The Dentist, you know the guy that ripped out Will & Sydneys teeth so if he does have a name let me know. Oh and I totally made up that code so I have no idea whether or not it would actually work, though I doubt it would lol. Enjoy  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Kathryn Sullivan was determined. She was not going to give up until she got exactly what she wanted. "What is The Contessa?" she repeated.  
  
"I don't know," Jack said truthfully. "I was hoping you would."  
  
She shook her head. "That's all they kept asking over and over again, Where is The Contessa? What is the Contessa? Do you have The Contessa?!" She blinked away a tear remembering the painful experience. "I kept telling them the same thing but they wouldn't believe me. The last thing I remember.."  
  
"Yes?" Jack had to admire her composure, most people in her situation would be hysterical, but she was calm and collected and keeping her emotions in check.  
  
"The last thing I remember was them saying that The Dentist would get it out of me." She let out a shaky breath. "I don't know who the Dentist is, but it didn't sound good to me. Do you know who or what the Dentist is?"  
  
"No," Jack lied. He knew full well who The Dentist was, he'd had a run in with him, years earlier and it hadn't been a pleasant experience. The fact that her captors would even call The Dentist in clearly told him that whatever The Contessa was, it was very important. "What happened next?" he asked taking note of Kathryn's facial expressions as she recalled the night's events.  
  
"I remember someone calling my name, and my face was hot. I heard gunfire and I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't-I was really out of it, they'd given me something and I needed my insulin shot, it was bad. Then I was moving, someone was carrying me and then more gunfire and he or she put me down. I hit my head on the wall and I could open my eyes then." She was concentrating so hard to remember, the look of determination on her face kept Jack quiet. "I was in the corner and there was this guard coming towards me he had a gun but they couldn't see him. There was a guard on the ground beside me, he was unconscious.or-or dead. I don't know but I remember I took his gun the guard started shooting at them so I pointed it and pulled the trigger. He fell to the ground, I think I might have killed him."  
  
"No-" Jack interrupted watching her pained face. "You didn't kill him, it was a tranquilizer dart, he was just knocked out."  
  
Kathryn was relieved and she could breath a little easier now knowing that she hadn't ended someone's life.  
  
"Where did you learn to shoot?"  
  
"What? Nowhere," she shook her head. "I've never held a gun-any kind of gun before, I just pointed it and pulled the trigger, just like in the movies."  
  
Jack didn't believe her. There was no way an untrained; semi conscious person could have made that shot. Had it been a real bullet the guard would be dead. The tranquilizer dart had hit the guard right where his heart was. It was a kill shot. He listened to her continue interrupting every once in a while for clarification or to ask a question. He recorded their entire conversation. The more she spoke, the more confused he got. He had anticipated answers, but all he had was more questions. Nothing Kathryn had said had revealed what he wanted to know. Nothing made any sense; perhaps the only reason they'd taken her was because they knew she was Irina Derevko's daughter, do they figured she must be valuable for some reason and by asking about The Contessa she might give something else away.  
  
Slowly he was gaining her trust. She wasn't as scared as she'd been an hour early and Jack used that opportunity to his advantage.  
  
"Are you hungry?" he asked seeing that it was almost 6 AM  
  
"Yeah," she nodded. "I haven't eaten in a while."  
  
Kathryn couldn't walk well because of the bandages on her feet but did not ask for any help as she and Jack raided the sandwich machines in the cafeteria. He had her off guard and on the way back to his office; he took a detour and convinced her to be tested. It wasn't easy; she was stubborn, she would have given his own daughter a run for her money. But in the end she had agreed on one condition. Jack performed a lie detector test, a psychological evaluation, memory tests, blood tests, anything he could think of but still he found nothing. There were no major inconsistencies, nothing that sent up red flags. It was almost too perfect. He was frustrated. Kathryn intrigued him, she was smart, her memory test scores had been near perfect, but without the full testing, he was unable to decide the level of her IQ. She had pasts all the tests with flying colors, either she knew absaloutely nothing or she was a very good liar better than he.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Kathryn sat in silence on the couch in Jack's office. He sat at his desk pretty much ignoring her, going over her test results, still not finding any inconsistencies. She looked back at him, he was cold, awkward, there didn't appear to be anything warm or friendly about him. He'd change positions every once in a while, clear his throat but he hadn't spoken to her in nearly an hour. She knew there was something he was keeping from her but she didn't know what. She'd finally given in to doing the tests hoping that he would live up to his end of the bargain and tell her everything he found out. Feeling cold she slipped on Jacks suit jacket. She stared out the glass window at the scene before her. Men, women, CIA agents of all ages, races and colors were busy at work. They looked at her every once in a while; a strange girl in a strange setting it was no wonder. Her arm was aching, the burns were itchy and sore and absently she began rubbing her arm.  
  
"Don't scratch, it'll scar." Jack hadn't even looking up from the papers he was reading.  
  
Rolling her eyes Kathryn turned back to the window and gently rubbed the bandage anyway. Seeing someone she recognized she stood up and told Jack that she would be back in a minute. Assuming she was going to the washroom he let her go. She picked up her cold pack on her way out the door, it was still semi-frozen. She could feel everyone's eyes on her as she walked across the floor. Sure she was a stranger in their element, oddly dressed, bandaged, barefoot wearing Jacks suit jacket. It almost came down to her knees and she'd folded the sleeves up, but there was something else. As soon as she looked at any of them they'd look away and talk to their neighbour, as if she had some deformity and they didn't want her to know they were talking about her.  
  
"So I'm fighting this guy taking him down when all the sudden another one comes out of nowhere socked my right in the eyes but I-" Weiss enjoyed telling the story so what if it wasn't a 100% truthful. Suddenly the people he was talking to looked beyond him and turning he saw Kathryn.  
  
She handed him the icepack. "I'm sorry about last night," She said softly.  
  
"Last night?" Weiss pretended not to know what she was talking about.  
  
"Last night, on the plane," she gave him a weird look and pointed at his eyes. "You stabbed that needle into me pretty hard and I over reacted. My hands were free and I didn't know what I was doing, and I wasn't all there, I'm sorry for punching you."  
  
"Nice fight Weiss," one of the agents laughed and his small crowd dispersed.  
  
"I'm afraid she's broken your cover," Marshall's desk was next to his and he paused typing on his computer to look over at him.  
  
"Thanks Marshall," Weiss nodded. He looked over at Kathryn hints of red creeping up his cheeks, "You're killing me 'Shiner."  
  
"Sorry," she shrugged. "How was I supposed to know you were embellishing the truth just to save face." She nodded at the icepack, "you should put that on your eyes, it'll stop the swelling." Looking over at Jacks office she saw him in conversation with a young woman and started to walk back to his office  
  
"Thanks kid," Weiss shook his head and reluctantly applied the cold compress to his eyes, he was never going to live this one down.  
  
Kathryn paused at Marshall's desk as she caught sight of what he was working on. It was a series of numbers and letters and symbols; a code. "Are you trying to solve that?"  
  
"Yes not having much luck though, I can't find any relationship at all between the numbers and letters-" Looking up he saw it was Kathryn and immediately covered the paper he was writing on. "You probably should have seen that-"  
  
"It's a language-gram," she offered.  
  
"A what?" Marshall was confused and Weiss moved his chair over so he could see what they were looking at.  
  
"A language-gram, like an anagram only with languages and numbers, everything is done in reverse. May I?" she asked gesturing to Marshall's pencil.  
  
"Sure," he nodded slowly.  
  
"Each of the numbers stand for letters and the letters are just letters. Whichever number appears most tells you what language it is. You just need a standardized list of languages and count down. You might have to try a couple different languages, depends on the list. In this case." she quickly counted the numbers. "Looks like the repeated number is 6 so the language is an F, French, Finish something like that. Then each number stands for a letter of the alphabet. You then have to rearrange the letters to form the words." Weiss and Marshall both watched silently amazed as she made some calculations on the paper. Once you've got all the words reverse the order and read every other word then go back and read the ones you missed. It's quite creative actually." She handed the pencil back to Marshall. "Got it?"  
  
Neither Marshall nor Weiss responded, both were speechless, astounded that after nearly twelve hours of Marshall working on the code and trying every computer program he had, Kathryn had offered a solution after looking at it for only a few moments.  
  
Shaking her head Kathryn walked back to Jacks office. She could see he was deep in conversation with a young woman, she was tall, brunette, dressed professionally but that's all Kathryn could see her back was too her.  
  
Seeing Kathryn approach Jack switched languages and continued his conversation with Sydney, about Kathryn in Greek.  
  
Kathryn stood in the doorway to his office her arms crossed as she watched Jack arguing in Greek with the woman. Finally she interrupted. "What about my mother?"  
  
Jack and Sydney immediately stopped talking. Stunned they turned to face Kathryn.  
  
"What about my mother?" 


	6. Chapter Six

A/N Hey everyone, thanks for the great replies, keep them coming good and bad! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, it's a little longer than the others are but I could not split it up. I really enjoyed writing Syd and Kathryn's heart to heart, definitely one of my most favorite bits so far. I'm really enjoying this story, I've never wrote anything so fast nor neglected my school work so much (enough said there I've got a ton to do starting today--yesterday was my birthday so it was a slack day) Anyways enjoy! Oh One last Question: I want to integrate a song into a song into a part of one of my future chapters. The scene will be emotional, yet funny and will take place with Jack Syd and Kathryn so if anyone has any suggestions let me know!  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Neither Jack, nor Sydney said anything.  
  
"What about my mother?" Kathryn repeated.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack covered.  
  
"You were talking about my mother." Kathryn crossed her arms over her chest and tried again. "You said my mother might have had something to do with this and then you mentioned another woman's name, Irina." Still with no response from either Jack or Sydney she began speaking to them in a slew of Greek so quick Jack even had trouble keeping up with her.  
  
"Stop," he interrupted and she did mid sentence. "You speak Greek."  
  
"No, really," she said sarcastically. "Now why would my mother have anything to do with this, she's been dead for over ten years."  
  
"Kathryn why don't you sit down," Sydney suggested.  
  
"I'll stand thank you. We made a deal Mr. Bristow!"  
  
"Kathryn Sit Down!" Jack closed his office door, shutting out the curious onlookers. Reluctantly she obeyed and sat next to Sydney.  
  
She remained still barely moving, or even breathing as Jack and Sydney explained to her about Irina Derevko, Alison Porter and Laura Bristow leaving out some of the details that she didn't need to know about. But including the information about SD6, The KGB, The Alliance and how Irina came to know Jack Bristow.  
  
"You're mistaken," she said finally. "My mother died when I was five, in a robbery-"  
  
"I'm sorry-" Jack began.  
  
"No I'm sorry," Kathryn stood up. "Because you're going to have to come up with a better lie than that. My mother died when I was five, I should know, I was there!"  
  
"We don't have records-"  
  
"So you don't believe me!"  
  
"He never said that-"  
  
"I'll prove it!" She raised her shirt and pointed out a scar on her abdomen that stood out amongst the purple bruises. "I was in the hospital for six weeks afterwards, the doctors had to take out my spleen and one of my kidneys! If my mother had been alive she would have come for me."  
  
"Katy, everything we've told you is the truth-"  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
Her voice was cold emotionless, and it sent shivers down Sydney's spine. She knew that voice all too well. Kathryn was very much like their mother. Before either of them could react Kathryn was gone. Sydney grabbed a file from her father and chased after her but she lost sight of her when Kathryn sneaked in an elevator. "Shit," Sydney watched the elevator lights until it stopped and then took the next elevator to that level.  
  
Jack contacted security and then followed Sydney but Marshall stopped him. "I don't have time Marshall."  
  
"Agent Bristow it's really important, it's well-big."  
  
Jack stopped, Marshall was really stuttering so it must be something.  
  
"Kathryn came over to see Agent Weiss, to apologize for well she hit him I guess, although he was telling everyone something else, caused a little scene when she showed up."  
  
"Get to the point Marshall!"  
  
He handed Jack the file with the coding information. "She saw the code I was trying to break, the one from the Russia Mission last week. It's my fault really I started talking to her and I didn't know it was her, I take full responsibility-"  
  
"Marshall what did she see?"  
  
"That's just it, nothing, at first, I couldn't crack that code. Analysts couldn't crack it, we ran it through every coding program we had, and I worked on it for twelve hours. She wasn't looking at it for more than a minute and she cracked it. Well she told me how, I'd never seen a code like it before and she told me how to break it."  
  
"What did it say?"  
  
"The translation is here," Marshall pointed at the page with the code translation. "Its information on the munitions plant in Prague. She doesn't know what it says though. Some people say that I'm a natural code breaker but she was amazing"  
  
"Thank you Marshall."  
  
Jack took the file and went back to his office. Closing the door he took a seat at his desk and skimmed through the file. Kathryn Sullivan was full of surprises, or so it seemed.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Sydney checked with the security guard, but he hadn't seen Kathryn. She stepped outside the building and looked around. The sidewalk was busy, people hurrying to get whereever with no idea as to the dangerous world around them. She turned to go back inside but stopped when she saw her. She almost laughed wondering how Kathryn had gotten past security. She crossed the street and slowly walked around the fountain.  
  
Kathryn sat on the bench hugging her knees. Sydney swore she saw tears on her cheeks but when she looked again, they were gone. She looked so lost and frightened. Sydney knew exactly how she felt, like the whole world was against her. Sydney put a hand on Kathryn's shoulder, but she shrugged it off pulling away. Sydney hid a smile she had expected that. She sat down on the bench beside her, but not too close, Kathryn needed space.  
  
"Katy, believe it or not, it does get better." Sydney said softly. She took a piece of gum from her pocket and offered one to Kathryn, but she shook her head. "I know it may not seem like it right now but the world isn't against you. You and I, we need to learn to trust each other, because right now I believe that the CIA is all that's keeping you alive." Sydney saw Kathryn shudder and knew she hit a nerve.  
  
"You should have just left me in Bangkok."  
  
"Kathryn no," Sydney reached for her hand but again as expected Kathryn pulled away. Sydney sat back on the bench and crossed her legs. "You and I have a lot in common-"  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Katy, I've been where you are now. It's a dark and scary place and you should not have to go through it alone." Kathryn lifted her head turning to look at Sydney and she was rewarded with a small reassuring smile. Sydney gently brushed a tear from Kathryn's cheek. "You don't have to be so brave all the time. It's okay to let your guard down. When I found out about my mother, about what she'd done, I felt exactly the way that you do now. Worthless, lied to, deceived-"  
  
"I hate her. I don't think I've ever hated someone so much in my life."  
  
"Don't-," Sydney shook her head. "Don't let your hatred for her consume your life, its not worth it. It eats you up and spits you out and leaves you with nothing."  
  
"How did it happen? When she, when your mother died?"  
  
Sydney reached for Kathryn's hand again, this time she allowed her to take it. "I was six, it was a car accident, her car went off a bridge. I don't remember very much, just my father coming to tell me that she was gone."  
  
"I remember everything," she sniffed. "I was five, I wanted to see my mom so I made the babysitter take me to see her. I wanted to give her this stupid picture I made. As soon as we opened the door, they started shooting- the robbers, I heard her scream and my babysitter was hurt, and mom she was climbing across the counter. She literally jumped on me, but it was too late." Kathryn was shaking, she was reliving it all over again; slowly Sydney slid her arm around her and Kathryn rested her head on Syds shoulder. "I was already hurt and I always thought that, if I hadn't, if I hadn't gone to the store that night she'd still be alive." Kathryn's chin trembled; her voice shook as she struggled to control herself. Sydney had to blink back her own tears as she held Kathryn closer. "She was so scared. Her eyes. I'll never forget them. I used to think it was just a big nightmare and now I know the truth."  
  
"It's okay," Syd said hoarsely feeling Kathryn's tears on her neck. She stroked her hair and wiped away Kathryn's tears. "It'll get better, I promise you, I won't lie to you ever."  
  
"Your mom.. Our mom, she married your dad to get information right, do you think it was the same with my dad?  
  
"I don't know," Sydney replied honestly.  
  
Kathryn pulled away and wiped her cheeks. She rested her chin on her knees. "Your dad is. different."  
  
"Yeah," Syd let out a small laugh. "He's.. complicated."  
  
"He's been nice to me," she picked an imaginary piece of lint off his jacket sleeve. "I wouldn't blame him if he hated me.. I wouldn't blame you if you hated me either. I think I would if I were in your position."  
  
"I could never hate you Katy," Sydney could feel the lump in her throat growing. She looked up and saw her father standing on the front steps of the Op Center, his arms crossed motioning her back inside with a quick nod of his head, before he turned and went back to his office. "We need to go back inside now, it really isn't safe out here."  
  
Kathryn nodded and slowly stood up wiping her eyes, removing all traces of the tears that had once been there. She crossed her arms across her chest as they walked across the street. "I suppose it makes sense," she said softly.  
  
"What makes sense?"  
  
"You and I. Why you look so much like me."  
  
Sydney stopped and had to smile, she knew exactly where Kathryn was going. "Now wait a minute you've got that all wrong," she shook her head and Kathryn looked up at her smiling. "It's why YOU look so much like ME."  
  
Kathryn laughed. "We're sisters, well half anyway."  
  
"Good, cause I always wanted a little sister."  
  
"So did I," Kathryn smirked and ran up the stairs ahead of Sydney.  
  
Shaking her head Sydney laughed and chased after her pausing only when Kathryn stumbled on one of the stairs. "We've got to get you some shoes," she laughed.  
  
"We had a good talk-" Sydney said to her father as she and Kathryn entered his office.  
  
"Close the door and sit down," Jack stood from behind his desk and the Sydney did as he asked. He sat on the edge of his desk in front of Kathryn and reached out gripping the chair handles tightly. Kathryn swallowed nervously feeling the heat of his breath on her face. He spoke again, his voice cold and domineering. "I want to know who you're working for Kathryn. I want to know and I want to know NOW!" 


	7. Chapter Seven

A/N- This chapter came out real quick~ Thanks for the replies guys, keep them coming, the more replies the quicker the chapters come and that is the sad and honest truth. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, it didn't turn out the way I wanted, I think the dialogue totally took it over but whatev- Chapter 8 will be much better and will reveal some unanswered questions about Kathryn!  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"Kathryn who are you working for?" Jacks voice was calm and controlled but his eyes scared her. They were cold and distant. He was dead serious. Instinctively she locked her ankles around the chair legs and gripped the armrests, her entire body tensed.  
  
"Dad, what are you doing!"  
  
"Stay out of this Sydney." He locked his hands around Kathryn's wrists holding her to the chair. "Tell me Kathryn, who are you working for?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
The coolness in her voice made Sydney nervous as she glanced back between her father and Kathryn.  
  
"Stop lying and tell the truth."  
  
Kathryn didn't know what else to do; she got leverage and spat in his face.  
  
Jack never lost his cool. He released her hands and walked around the side of his desk. He grabbed a tissue and wiped his face.  
  
"Dad, leave her alone," Sydney stood behind Kathryn her hands resting lightly on her shoulders.  
  
Jack ignored his daughter. "Talk!"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kathryn pleaded. "I've told you everything I know."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me about the languages and codes?"  
  
Kathryn was silent for a moment. Her breathing was ragged, her eyes like ice; she knew exactly what he was talking about. "You never asked."  
  
"I'm asking now." Jack folded his hands in front of him, "how many languages do you speak?"  
  
"A few."  
  
"How many?"  
  
"Several."  
  
"Name them!"  
  
Sydney crouched down turning Kathryn's chair slightly to face her. "Whatever it is, just tell the truth. Everything will be fine."  
  
There was a long silence before Kathryn finally spoke. She named all the languages she could speak in a long slew. "I wasn't trying to hide anything," she said honestly. "When people ever find out that I can speak that many languages they treat me differently, like some kind of freak."  
  
Jack made a quick tally, "29" it was almost as many as he or Sydney could speak. "Where did you learn them all?"  
  
"Books, tapes, movies," she shrugged. "My best is Russian, my mom taught me before she died-before she left. I was in a Spanish foster home for a while and then I learned Latin, French, and German in school. It just came so easy so I started learning others, I thought it would be hard but it wasn't. "Czech is my worst though, I can't ever get the accent right."  
  
"How old were you when you started?" Sydney asked curiously. She hadn't even learned the more difficult ones like Czech and Ukrainian until she had been recruited by SD-6.  
  
"12 or 13, it's just not something that I like talking about. It was a hobby and I don't like being looked at as a freak. When I was in High School, some kids found out about it, they used to say things."  
  
"What about the codes?" Jack asked. "You decoded a message in less than a minute that Marshall had been working on for hours."  
  
"My mother taught me."  
  
"But you were so young when she died," Sydney said softly.  
  
"I learned how to read when I was two," Kathryn explained. "My mom showed me and we used to do them together before she died. I just recognized the series, I'd seen that type of code before."  
  
"What about the tests?" Jack continued. "The memory tests, you got those answers wrong on purpose."  
  
"When you always get the questions right, people start to think that you cheat," she said solemnly. "After a while, you just get the answers wrong on purpose, and every once in a while, you bomb a test, just so they don't suspect, even though you never did anything wrong in the first place."  
  
"You have a photographic memory," Sydney leaned forwards astounded. It was all beginning to fall in to place. Her sister was a genius.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Jack leaned back in his seat, still not sure. "They why didn't you just tell the truth if you had nothing to hide?"  
  
"Like I said, I don't like to be treated like freak." Kathryn drew imaginary circles on the armrest with her index finger. "When I was fifteen, the school wanted to test me, I faked a diabetic seizure to get out of it."  
  
Jack hid a smile, the girl was quick. He handed her a piece of paper and a pen, "do you remember the code?"  
  
Kathryn didn't answer she just took the pen and paper and began re-creating the code she'd instructed Marshall to decipher from memory. Sydney and Jack didn't say a word they just watched as Kathryn furiously penned the code and then deciphered it herself. She handed the code and translation back to Jack when she was done.  
  
"Good work," Jack made several notations on the paper and then slipped it into the file.  
  
The room was deafened in silence; a knock on the office door startled them all. "Agent Bristow, " Weiss opened the door. "They're ready for her now."  
  
"Ready for what?" Sydney asked concerned.  
  
"I'm placing Kathryn in protective custody," Jack stood up and took her arm forcing her to stand up.  
  
"What! No, Dad, that's completely unnecessary," Sydney protested.  
  
"It's for her own safety."  
  
Weiss placed his hands on Kathryn's shoulders. She began to struggle and he held her firmly at arms lengths. "Come on 'Shiner, don't hit me again, one embarrassment for the day is enough for me." He pushed her out of the office where two security guards would take them to the Centers Protective Custody Department.  
  
"If I'd wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already," she said through gritted teeth as they walked quickly through the corridors. She glared at Jack with such disdain.  
  
"Why not a safehouse?" Sydney continued in her crusade to have Kathryn placed elsewhere. Protective custody was too much of a prison.  
  
"Sydney, this is not up for discussion." Jack signed them in at security and inquired as to the status of their only other tenant, Arvin Sloan. He'd arranged to visit Sloan after concluding business with Kathryn. Guiding Kathryn down the hallway they passed Sloan who was being transferred to the visitation room. Kathryn stopped so suddenly he nearly ran into her.  
  
"Arvin!" Kathryn was gone before any of them could react.  
  
Jack walked over to her. Sloan was in the process of being transferred to the visitors room and was flanked by several guards who stood back confused.  
  
"I never got to thank you for the flowers! Thank You, they were beautiful. I tried to call but, your phone was disconnected and you never answered my e-mail. I was worried about you." She tried to hug him, but he was shackled.  
  
"Your welcome Kathryn," Sloan smiled at her.  
  
"What's going on? Arvin, why are you here?" She asked pulling back confused. "Why did you disappear?"  
  
Sloan looked up at Jack a slow grin spreading across his face. 


	8. Chapter Eight

Redemption  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Jack watched that slow smug smile spreading across Sloane's face.  
  
Kathryn pulled away from him seeing the shackles, "Arvin, what's going on? Why are you here?"  
  
"Everything is fine Katy," Sloane gave her a big smile. Sydney wanted to vomit and Weiss stood opened mouthed.  
  
"Get him out of here!" Jack grabbed Kathryn roughly by the shoulders pushing her towards Sydney and Weiss. She fell down and Jack pulled her up.  
  
"Wait!" Kathryn cried struggling with Jack but he was too strong, and she was too weak this time. "Arvin! Arvin!"  
  
"How do you know Sloane?" Sydney asked.  
  
" Sydney, your plane leaves in ten minutes," Jack reminded her.  
  
"But Dad-"  
  
"You're going to miss your plane."  
  
Sydney stopped in the hall watching Weiss, Jack and Kathryn walk down the hall. "I'll be back in a few days Katy!" she shouted after them. Kathryn didn't even turn around. Feeling helpless she watched as Kathryn tried to squirm away from Jack but she was unsuccessful and he only gripped her arm tighter. Her father was still blind when it came to anything to do with her mother.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Stone, cold, silence; that was all Kathryn felt. She sat on the floor in her cell hugging her knees against her chest. She felt void, she felt nothing, not joy, pain, or even sorrow. The entire place echoed. Often she would hear the banging of metal--it was the guards, or laughter-the guards again. Shivering she hugged her knees closer. She'd left Jacks coat in his office, she felt like ice but didn't ask for anything. She doubted they would even give her a blanket if she asked. It was a prison. Cold, metal steele. Sterile. How had things come to this, she'd never done anything wrong, never even so much as shoplifted. Now here she was caught up in a world she knew nothing at all. Jack had left her here. He said he'd be back but that was hours ago. He'd lied, Sydney had lied, everyone was lying to her. She felt betrayed. In less than 48 hours her entire world had been turned upside down and the only person she'd ever trusted, the only one who had ever cared about her was a prisoner in the next cell.  
  
Katy heard the doors opening and loud footsteps down the corridor. He was back. She ignored Jack as he entered her cell. The door echoed as it slammed shut and Jack positioned an aluminum chair right in front of her. He took off his jacket and sat down.  
  
She was pissed. Jack sensed it the second he walked into the room, not that he blamed her. He felt like the temperature had dropped several degrees, she was as cold as ice. She stared right past him.  
  
"Lets talk about Arvin Sloane," he pulled his chair closer to her. She didn't say a word, not that he expected she would. Getting any answers out of her the way she was feeling now was like pulling teeth.  
  
"We have a deal Kathryn."  
  
Silence.  
  
"You're not one to break your word."  
  
Kathryn looked at him, raised and eyebrow and then looked past him again. She could see right through him.  
  
"You and I don't have to like each other, but we both want answers so we need to work together on this."  
  
Silence  
  
She knew he was right. Shivering she hugged her knees closer and rested her chin on her knees. She looked up hearing the scrape of metal on the floor as Jack stood up. He put his jacket around her shoulders and sat back down. "Sydney seems to care very much about you. I would not doing anything to intentionally hurt my daughter, but I can not help you if you won't talk to me."  
  
"You put me in a prison!"  
  
"It's not a prison, and it's for your own good."  
  
"I didn't do anything wrong!"  
  
"Kathryn, these people who kidnapped you, they will try to get you back and kill you!"  
  
"Well then maybe I'd be better off dead."  
  
"I find it hard to believe you would think that." Jack stood again and pulled her up off the floor and onto the other chair. He pushed it over to a small table welded into the wall and then brought his own chair over. He handed her a wrapped sandwich and a bottle of orange juice. "Sorry if you don't like it but I didn't know what you could eat." Kathryn didn't move. Reaching over Jack opened the orange juice and un-wrapped the sandwich for her but still she didn't move.  
  
"How do you know Arvin Sloane?" Jack asked again.  
  
"He's my friend."  
  
"He's not your friend Kathryn, he's a very dangerous man."  
  
"He's not dangerous," she laughed. "I've known him practically my whole life, he's the kindest person I've ever met -"  
  
"Kathryn, I'm going to tell you some things that you're not going to like, but I have no reason to lie to you. Everything I tell you is the truth." Jack proceeded to tell Kathryn everything about SD-6 and the CIA, how Sydney was recruited by SD-6, land then worked as a double agent. He told her about how Danny was killed and that Sloane was responsible. She remained silent until he finished.  
  
"Arvin is the only person in this world who ever gave a damn about me-"  
  
"I've told you why he is here, now you tell me-how you know Arvin Sloane?"  
  
"He came to see me in the hospital after my mom died. He said he knew my dad." Kathryn began picking at the sandwich Jack had given her. "He wrote me and called every once in a while when I was in the foster homes. He sent me and he always came and visited me on my birthday or near Christmas. I used to ask him all the time why he couldn't just adopt me, but he always said he couldn't, he was always out of the country and he couldn't take care of me. Sometimes I hated it, the presents and classes, the other kids always bothered me about it, but I liked the classes, because I always had something to do."  
  
"What kind of presents? Classes?"  
  
"Lots of books, about languages and ancient writings, and puzzle books- codes, word searches, stuff like that and tapes and CD's a computer, games anything I could ever want. Some of it I liked some of it I didn't, but he thought they were interesting, so I read them anyways." The bread crust was crumbling in her fingers creating a mess over the table.  
  
"And the classes?"  
  
"Swimming, ballet, dance, languages, riding, karate, piano, violin, acting and drama workshops, kick boxing, a gym membership, boxing, self defense. He always said that a girl should be able to defend herself-"  
  
Jack stood up abruptly, "I'll be back." He left her cell striding towards the hallway. "Get me Sloane!" he ordered the guard.  
  
"Jack, you promised!" Kathryn shouted. She stood up, knocking over her chair. "Jack!" she screamed pounding the glass window with her fist. "Get back here!"  
  
Jack opened the door to Sloane's cell and grabbed him. He slammed him up against the wall pressing his face to the glass. "You Son of a Bitch!" He let him go and Sloane fell back in his chair. "She's a child!"  
  
"Smart isn't she," Sloane settled in his chair straightening his shirt. "And stubborn, I'll bet she makes your blood boil." He smirked. "She would have been a great asset."  
  
Jack turned and left the room; he'd heard all he needed to.  
  
Kathryn didn't look up as he entered her cell again. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door. Finally he spoke.  
  
"Arvin Sloane was not your friend." As per usual his voice was cold emotionless. "He was training you. Eventually he would have recruited you to work for SD-6 as a super spy. He's been training you since you were six years old." Jack shifted his position and Kathryn finally looked up at him. She had no words. "I'm transferring you to a safe house, you'll leave later tonight." He was gone.  
  
Abandoning her crumbled sandwich Kathryn laid down on the thin mattress. Tears flooded her eyes and she winced every time she heard the clang of the doors slamming one by one and Jacks faint footsteps slowly fading. It felt like a prison, it was a prison and there was no one in the world that she could trust anymore. 


	9. Chapter Nine

A/N( Thanks for your comments so far keep em coming!!!! And thanks to Egyptian Kat, you are hillarious, you always make me laugh! To answer your question, Why did I name her Kathryn... Honestly no idea, I was writing a fanfic for another show and the girls name was Kate so I just used Kathryn, might have had something to do with the nicknames though (well you'll see them later on but Kat and Kit-Kat are two of them) Probably also cause its kind of a formal name (sounds very grown up) I could just picture Jack saying it is all. The funny thing though is that honestly I used to hate the name, I thought it was a horrible name (no offense!!!!) I was big into names about five years ago and I didn't like the name at all but actually now I really like it, sounds very nice, a nice Strong name. Beware there are much more story ideas to come as the search for The Contessa ensues. I have a lot of ideas, but I really need to write them down because I keep forgetting them!  
  
Definitley More sydney appearances coming up!! And stay tuned for a rather dramatic event upcoming in a couple chapters maybe in Chapter 12 or so I'm not really sure.  
  
Now honestly I think this chapter is crap! You know when you start out a story and its going along great you have it all planned out then the chapters just start to get crappy? Well this is one but they will pick up soon! Then again I guess there always has to be crappy chapters to get to the good ones.  
  
Well now on to Chapter Nine, as always Alias is not mine! And please R&R I would really appreciate comments good and bad. The next chapter won't be posted until Wednesday-ish  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
Arvin Sloane sat nursing a sprained wrist in his cell. His thoughts reverted back to Jacks unexpected visit. He'd been surprised to see Kathryn that morning. She looked older than he last remembered, older and wiser. He hadn't seen her in over a year now, but she was still the same old Kathryn; so much like Sydney it worried him. She had so much potential. So now Jack, Sydney and the CIA knew about her, her abilities and talents probably--but her life-they didn't have a clue. He was curious as to how they found her; he'd done a good job of covering her trail. It was a shame he would never see her live up to her full potential. His intention had been to recruit her after she turned 18; she and Sydney would have done amazing work together. Sloane was not surprised to find Jack visiting him again later that day but this time a thick wall of plexi-glass separated them.  
  
"Jack, I can't say that I'm surprised to see you again," Sloane leaned back in his chair folding his hands behind his head.  
  
"Tell me everything you know about Kathryn Sullivan."  
  
"You've already spoken with Kathryn, so you know of my involvement in her life. What I think is that you don't know a thing about her life."  
  
"You've done a good job at covering it up," Jack guessed that it was Sloane who had kept Kathryn's records clean. "How did you find out about her?"  
  
"I was in New York at the time of her mothers shooting. Her picture was in the paper and she did look so much like Sydney so I investigated. I had no doubt the first time I met her that she was Irina's daughter."  
  
"And her father?"  
  
"Paul Sullivan," Sloane nodded slowly. "KGB."  
  
"Why is the Covenant after her?"  
  
"I don't know," Sloane shrugged. "They may have found out that she is Irina's daughter, and assume she must be valuable."  
  
"What is The Contessa?"  
  
Sloane shook his head, "never heard of it."  
  
Jack actually believed him. "If you supposedly know Kathryn better than anyone, what else is she hiding?"  
  
"Kathryn has her own demons to face."  
  
Jack drummed his fingertips on the glass barrier. "I want answers. Why did she keep switching foster homes, why did you wipe her records? Why was she emancipated?"  
  
"You will not get those answers from me Jack. When and if Kathryn is ready, she may tell Sydney, but certainly not you."  
  
Jack had, had enough of Sloane for the day and turning he left the room. The doors slammed shut one by one as Jack walked down the hall. He stopped at the security desk and watched Kathryn for a few moments. She'd abandoned the sandwich and juice on the table and was back where he'd found her hours earlier. Sitting in the corner of the room on the cold floor. Her knees pulled as close to her chest as she could get them.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Vaughn adjusted his holster and checked his gun, making sure it was loaded correctly. "You okay Syd?"  
  
"What?-Yeah sure," she nodded lacing up her boots. "I'm just-"  
  
"Thinking about Kathryn."  
  
She gave him a half smile, "Yeah."  
  
Vaughn gave her a hug, "don't worry she'll be fine. Weiss is looking out for her and your dad won't let anything happen to her."  
  
"My father is still incredibly blind when it comes to my mother. He looks at Kathryn and sees my mother, the woman who betrayed him." Sydney sat down on the hotel bed and reached for her other boot. "I don't entirely trust his judgement regarding my sister."  
  
"I like that-"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That little smile, when you said my sister"  
  
Sydney laughed, "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"I do," Vaughn grinned. "Seriously Syd, she's going to be fine. Hey did you hear about Weiss, she totally blew his story about the black eyes?"  
  
"I know," Sydney laughed. "I could practically see his cheeks from my dads office, I think the whole office was laughing about it. Poor Eric."  
  
"Well he had it coming to him, he knows that." Vaughn grinned. "Syd, when I look at Kathryn, I see you. When your dad looks at Kathryn, sure he sees your mother but he sees you too. He wouldn't do anything to hurt you." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "time to go."  
  
"Yeah," I'll be right there. Sydney nodded and surveyed herself in the mirror one final time before slipping on her camoflauge cap and marking her face with grease paint. She just wanted to get their mission over with and get home.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Weiss stood for a moment watching Kathryn on the security camera. She sat on the bed against the wall; her knees pulled up to her chest. "Poor kid," he said softly.  
  
"She hasn't moved in the last hour and a half," the guard tapped the keyboard pulling in on Kathryn's stoned face. "She wouldn't even eat the food we brought in. I'd go nuts," he shook his head and shrugged. "She's a tough one."  
  
"Yeah she is," Weiss rubbed his unshaven cheek, the days whiskers prickling against his fingers. "Let me in," he said handing the guard the order. "I'm taking her out for a little."  
  
"Sure thing."  
  
The guard let him in and walked him down the hall. He opened the door, Kathryn didn't budge. "Hey Shiner," He touched her arm lightly. "Come on, Agent Bristow wants you to see somethi-" Kathryn looked up at him, tears staining her cheek. "Ahhh 'Shiner, come on kid, don't cry." Weiss wiped her cheek with his thumb. "Here," Weiss crouched down and held out a pair of running shoes. "Sydney left these for you, they'll be a little big but your bandages should take care of it." Kathryn moved to the edge of the bed wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Weiss slid the shoes on her feet and tied the laces tightly. "Okay Kid?" he stood up.  
  
"They'll do," she shrugged and followed him out. "Stop callling me Kid."  
  
"Sure thing 'Shiner."  
  
She rolled her eyes. Weiss took her to one of the offices where her belongings from her apartment had been brought. Walking slowly around the table, her hand danced over her few remaining possessions. Some books, CD's, videos, a few pictures and figurines, nothing of any value was left. Pausing she picked up the rag doll, holding it close to her chest. All that she had left in the world was contained in two cardboard boxes. Seeing the tangible evidence, her entire situation was finally beginning to seem real.  
  
"We had all your stuff brought here, what was left of it anyway," Jack entered the office and sat down on one of the chairs. "The people who took you, took most of your things with them. Our lab went over everything but couldn't find anything that seemed out of the ordinary. I wanted your opinion, does anything seem out of place?"  
  
She shrugged touring the table again. "They took everything," her voice was soft, a whisper and Jack detected a quiver in it. "My life..everything. Books, clothes, my diary, photo albums, laptop." She paused picking up a framed photograph; the glass was cracked creating a splice down the middle. "This was my father," she showed Jack. "I don't really remember him. He wasn't around very much before he died."  
  
"Kathryn, Paul Sullivan was your fathers alias," Jack took the photograph from her setting it back on the desk.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"His real name was Petrov Ravinski, he was an agent in the KGB."  
  
"I guess she didn't marry him for information after all." Kathryn's face was hard.  
  
"It seems unlikely," Jack cleared his throat. "What about these?" He opened the file folder containing hand drawn pictures.  
  
Kathryn flipped through them quickly; "they're just pictures I drew when I was little. I made them for my mother so I kept them." her voice trailed off stopping on one. It was one she'd made with her mother; Irina's handwriting was clearly visible in the margin, 'Mom and Katy feeding the ducks'. Kathryn's hands shook as suddenly she ripped the paper in half crumbling it in her hands. "Just throw them out, I don't care, my mother is dead."  
  
"Your things will stay in storage until everything is settled," Jack opened the door calling Agent Weiss in. "Agent Weiss will take you down stairs in a few minutes," Jack said and instructed Weiss to wait outside the door until she was ready.  
  
Kathryn emerged from the room several minutes later after having regained her composure. Right now she just wanted to lash out at someone, anyone. She just wanted kick, scream and cry and wake up from this horrible nightmare that was now her life.  
  
They walked through the main section of the building; Kathryn was pleased to discover that most of the employees were used to her presence now. They no longer stared or whispered about her when they thought she wasn't looking. It almost felt nice, her entire life that was all people did. At school the kids and teachers always talked about her. She was always the foster kid, or the new kid. It wasn't easy to make friends and then when she did, they usually didn't last. She'd been in foster care and group homes for 11 years and in all that time she'd lived in over 20 different places, most of them she could barely remember. Switching homes hadn't left time to keep friends.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked.  
  
"Sub levels," Weiss held the door open for her flashing his ID at the security guard. "There's Jack."  
  
Kathryn looked around; she spotted Jack on the opposite side behind a glass window talking with a bald headed man. "Whose that?" she asked.  
  
"That's Director Kendall, he's the big guy," Weiss explained. "He's also an ass," he added under his breath.  
  
"Good to know," She smirked walking on ahead.  
  
"Wha-'Shiner-'Shiner what did you mean by that?" Weiss followed her, but she didn't respond.  
  
Jack and Kendall approached them. "Kathryn this is Director Kendall-"  
  
"Yes, hello. Agent Weiss was just telling me what an-"  
  
Weiss slapped his hand over Kathryn's mouth and gave the two a nervous smile. He then cleared his throat laughing nervously and removed his hand from Kathryn's mouth after receiving strange looks from both Jack and Director Kendall.  
  
"As I was saying," Kathryn glared at Weiss. "Agent Weiss was just telling me that you are an important person around here and I wanted to thank you for your assistance in finding me."  
  
"Oh your welcome," Kendall stumbled over his words surprised at her response.  
  
"Kathryn come with me, there's just one more test I want to run before you go to the safehouse," Jack took her through another door.  
  
"What is this place?" she asked confused.  
  
Jack didn't answer. He led her to a stall and took his gun out of his jacket pocket. He cocked it and handed it to her. "Aim at the target and shoot."  
  
"But-" Kathryn didn't know what to say as Jack put earmuffs on her ears and pointed her to face the target.  
  
"Aim and shoot!"  
  
"But I told you I don't know how-"  
  
"Shoot it!" Jack ordered. "Pull the trigger now! Shoot the gun!"  
  
Breathing rapidly Kathryn was surprised at how steady her hands were. She followed his instructions raised the gun, aimed quickly at the target and pulled the trigger firing off several rounds.  
  
Jack took the gun from her. "Agent Weiss is going to take you to the safehouse now."  
  
"But why-?" Kathryn began but was cut off. Weiss had taken her arm and was ushering her out the door.  
  
"Interesting girl," Kendall commented walking over to Jack.  
  
Jack didn't respond. He pulled the target of the board and brought it back to show Kendall. "She said she'd never held a gun before," Jack pointed out the bullet holes. "Yet, she's a perfect shot."  
  
Kathryn was indeed a perfect shot. 3 out of the five bullets had hit the bullseye dead on. They were kill shots. He shook his head walking towards the door, there was no way she'd never had any training, so either she was lying or she never knew about it. The second reason seemed more probable because after all why would she lie? 


	10. Chapter Ten

A/N Yay this chapter was a day earlier than expected!!!!! I've already started the next so the reviews I get the more likely Chapter 11 will be posted tomorrow!!!! (he he he can we say bribery—Yeah and I'm not ashamed of it!!!) What do you guys think of the Kathryn/Weiss scenes from the earlier chapters? I'd like some opinions on them for future knowledge. And Please R&R!!!!!!

****

TO  
Kathryn: Here ya go!! Chapter 11 and 12 should be good too!!! Now where's my hideaway?

KT: Project Christmas??? hmmmmm maybe, maybe not!

Irina Derevko: well she showed up a little sooner than I thought Yay! She'll be back, there's a chapter coming up that I know you're going to like!

  
Disclaimer-Not mine, don't own them, don't sue, I'm broke!!!! Now onto the fic~!

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REDEMPTION  
CHAPTER 10

Three Days Later

Jack checked his watch for the hundredth time in the past 20 minutes. Kathryn Sullivan was on his mind as usual. She'd been at the safe house for three days and still they were no further along in determining what The Contessa was. He needed answers and if she didn't know, there was only one person who might. Her mother.

Finally it was time and pulling out his cell phone he dialed a number from memory. "Do you deliver?" he asked when the person picked up. "Alright thank you." He hung up and turned on his laptop switching the connections until he reached a secure server. He entered the designated chatroom and waited. 

__

RussianBabe What's up?

JB620 I was hoping you could tell me.

RussianBabe What does that mean?

JB620 Kathryn Sullivan

The screen remained blank for several moments before Irina posted again.

RussianBabe Is she all right?

JB620 For now. We got her back and she's safe. She knows everything.

RussianBabe How is she?

JB620 angry, scared…….smart. She reminds me of you

RussianBabe I left her to keep her safe. It was best for everyone. 

JB620 She doesn't seem to think so.

RussianBabe She's young, she will understand, in time. What happened?

JB620 The Covenant is searching for something called The Contessa. Have you heard of it?

RussianBabe No

JB620 They seem to think she has seen it and knows where it is. She doesn't. They'll come after her again. Whatever you know-you owe her.

RussianBabe I don't know anything but I'll look in to it. 

JB620 Good

RussianBabe And Sydney? How is she?

JB620 You know our daughter.

RussianBabe I never wanted to keep Katy from her, but I wanted her safe—away from this life, away from the danger.

JB620 You know better than anyone that that is never possible. 

RussianBabe I had hoped Its been so long and nothing. Watch after her, she's not as strong as she thinks. Contact me if anything happens?

JB620 I will

RussianBabe Thank You. She won't want to hear it but, tell her I love her. 

JB620 I'll try. Good bye Irina.

Russian Babe Bye Jack. 

Jack turned off his computer and leaned back in the chair. He hadn't gotten what he was after, he didn't know what he was after but despite her faults and betrayals, Irina deserved to know that her daughter was alive and safe. Reaching into his briefcase he pulled out Kathryn's file, everything they knew about Kathryn was contained on only a few sheets of one-sided paper, and still they had no answers regarding The Contessa. 

~~~

Kathryn studied the game pieces carefully and eyed her opponent. His gaze was steady, confident. She looked down at her pieces and then made her move. "Checkmate."

"Beat me again," Agent Clark shook his head. "You're too smart for your own good," he laughed. 

"You're only as good as the people you play against," she grinned. "Want to play again?"

Agent Marks nodded. "Sure, this time-" 

Kathryn took a sharp deep breath in as a silent shot hit Agent Clark in the forehead splattering blood across her face. His eyes wide, he slumped over the chess board knocking the pieces onto the floor. She swallowed hard slowly backing away from the table and grabbed her purse slinging it over her chest. Her hands shook and her breathing stopped as the door slowly opened. 

~~~

Eric opened his car door and got in. He dialed Jacks number and started the engine. "Yeah Jack, its Eric, They missed their check in ten minutes ago and I can't get a hold of them." Eric peeled out of his driveway. "I'm heading in now, Dixon's assembling a team to go in, Vaughn's already at the office, hesaid not to call Sydney, in case something…….in case something has happened to her." Silently Eric prayed that nothing had. Being captured was far better for the moment than being dead.

Eric knew something was wrong. He'd worked at Langley with Agent Clark who was the lead on Kathryn's security detail, he was the best guy for the job; Eric had handpicked him himself. Clark would never miss a scheduled check in, not unless something was very, very wrong. 

He was at the Op Center in less than five minutes; Jack arrived a few minutes later. 

Confirmation was received. All of the safehouse's security had been disabled 15 minutes before. A team was quickly assembled including Jack, Vaughn and Weiss and they left immediately. 

Weiss and the blue team carefully approached the security trailer located a few blocks from the safe house. This safehouse was located in an old farmhouse near a large ravine. Weiss singled to the captain and they broke into the security trailer. The two agents inside were dead their throats had been slit. He checked the security camera and pocket the disk containing the day's coverage up until the cameras had been disconnected. "Move out," He said and he and the team moved to approach the safe house at a safe distance behind the red and green teams led by Jack and Vaughn. Grabbing his radio he informed Dixon of the casualties so far, he had no doubt there would be more. 

The red team led by Jack approached the safehouse from the front while Vaughn and the green team approached from the rear. Both teams took out several men from the opposing force before entering the house on a surprise attack. Quickly they cleared the house disabling several more men Kathryn was no where to be found.

Weiss walked up to Jack and Vaughn and pulled off his ski mask. "We searched everywhere, there were a couple guys one of the agents must have taken out in her room, we took out two more up there as well," he shook his head. "It's a bloody mess. She's not here, they've got her!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That's all folks opinions likes dislikes, it was short I know but it had to be! Please R&R


	11. Chapter Eleven

A/N Here we are Redemption Chapter 11!!!! This chapter is a lot longer than all the others b/c well.... just because lol. Please reply and let me know what you think (something other than nice chapter would be helpful & thanks for all the great replies so far) tell me what you liked didn't like, you can speculate, i may or may not answer though lol.  
  
I will tell you that when i was writing the end of this chapter, i was actually crying, mind you part of that could have been due to the traumatic experience i had just been through. Anyone seen the Texas Chainsaw Massacre? I did!  
  
anyways enough of my ramblings............  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ REDEMPTION CHAPTER 11  
  
Jack surveyed the scene before him, six dead FBI agents, a dozen or so wounded or dead Covenant agents, and Kathryn Sullivan was no where to be found. It was starting to rain. Jack looked up at the black sky turning around in a circle. "She's still here," he said softly.  
  
"What? No, we would have found her?" Vaughn shook his head.  
  
"Give me your phone," Jack held out his hand and took Vaughn's phone from him. "They wouldn't have taken her and left half their men behind." He began dialing a number, "I gave her a cell phone, her bag wasn't upstairs, we'll hope she has it." Holding the phone to his ear, he let it ring repeatedly as they walked around the outside of the house. They stopped at the side, "there," Jack pointed up at a small circular window several stories up. Half the shutter was hanging off.  
  
"You're thinking she went through there?" Weiss asked skeptically.  
  
"She's small, she could have fit," Vaughn agreed. They looked up following the ledge around the house. Jack redialed the cell number. "I hear it," Vaughn said softly. He could hear the faint ringing of Kathryn's cell phone over the high wind and rain. A small amount of debris suddenly fell several feet above them and all three men looked up shining their flashlights.  
  
Kathryn hung from the edge of the roof.  
  
"I'm going up," Vaughn took off. He took the stairs two at a time and climbed out a window on the fourth floor. He slid down the peak and over the edge. "Hey Kit Kat how's it hanging?" he joked. Kathryn looked up at him, but didn't make a move. She hung one handed from a pipe that was slowly loosening from the outside of the house. He held out his hand to her, "take it." She didn't move. "Kathryn take my hand or you will fall." Vaughn blinked the rain out of his eyes and reached his hand down a little further. He couldn't grab her without going over the edge himself. She shook her head and cried out as the pipe pulled farther away from the house.  
  
Vaughn leaned out a little farther to get a better look at her. He shone the flashlight over her. Each time the pipe pulled slightly, her fingers slipped even more. She couldn't hold on much longer. Her left arm hung limply at her side, he figured she must have hurt it, which was why she couldn't grab his hand. "I'm going to have to bring her down," he shouted out to Jack and Eric and sat up. Opening his knapsack he pulled out a harness and slipped it on. He secured one end to the chimney and slid out over the edge of the roof. He was able to get to Kathryn just before the pipe pulled away from the house.  
  
Vaughn slowly lowered them to the ground.  
  
"Is she okay?" Weiss asked.  
  
Vaughn shook his head. "Her arm-"  
  
"Its broken," Jack gently touched her arm. He pulled out his knife and quickly cut off her sleeve. "Take her hand," he asked Weiss who followed his instructions. Jack turned her to face him, she avoided his eyes. "This is going to hurt, but it is necessary." Jack stared right into her eyes. She didn't blink, move or even make a sound as he positioned both hands on her arm and wrenched the bone back into place. "We've got to get her out of here,"  
  
"I want to see Sydney."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Sydney tossed the burning match into the fireplace and rearranged the logs before she was satisfied and then settled back on the couch. She sipped a glass of red wine savoring the taste of the sweet substance on her lips. She opened her book and found the marked spot. She hadn't been reading for more than a few minutes when there was a knock on her front door. She opened the door and stood there shocked.  
  
"She wanted to see you."  
  
Sydney looked up at her father and then back at Kathryn. Dirt was smudged across her face, bruises were already beginning to show there and on her broken arm. She was soaked through to the bone, shivering in the cold wind. Blood was splattered across her face, and her face was blank devoid of an emotion. "What happened?" She asked her father putting an arm around Kathryn and taking her inside.  
  
"They attacked the safehouse," Jack closed the door after Vaughn and locked it. "Kathryn was the only survivor."  
  
"Syd where's your computer?" Weiss asked. He and Vaughn took off their wet coat and shoes and left them in the hall.  
  
"On the counter," Sydney pointed it out. "There's some towels in the hall closet," Sydney told her father and wrapped a blanket around Kathryn. "Dad she's hurt-"  
  
"I called someone," Jack nodded. "She'll be here soon." He passed some towels to Vaughn and Weiss.  
  
"Jack have a look at this," Eric turned Sydney's laptop to face him. "It's the security feed from the safehouse. Now we know what happened." Jack watched the security tape silently. There was a knock on the door and he closed the computer getting up answer it. Jack drew his gun, signaling for back up from Weiss and Vaughn. He checked the peephole and then opened the door keeping his gun at his side.  
  
"Mr. Bristow?" the woman asked. "Dr. Simon."  
  
"Thank you for coming." Jack put his gun away and directed the doctor to Kathryn. "Sydney, I need to speak with you," Jack motioned her over to the counter.  
  
"Will you sit with her?" she asked Weiss and gave him the warm cloth she'd been using to wipe the blood off Kathryn's face.  
  
"Sure," he took the cloth from her and sat with Kathryn on the sofa as the doctor prepared to bandage her arm.  
  
"Dad, what happened?" Sydney whispered so Kathryn wouldn't hear them. "She's covered in blood, she won't talk and her arm is broken. Why-"  
  
"Sydney, sit down," Jack waited until she sat and then sat beside her. "There are things about Kathryn that I haven't told you yet."  
  
"What? You said-"  
  
"Just listen," Jack squeezed her hand lightly. "I told you that Arvin Sloane, found out about Kathryn shortly after her mother died and he kept an eye on her, that wasn't the entire truth." Jack cleared his throat and glanced up at Sydney, her eyes flashed with anger. "Sloane was planning on recruiting Kathryn to work for SD-6, he'd been training her since, since she was a child."  
  
"What-?" Sydney rubbed her temples. "You're saying that he-Sick!"  
  
"Apparently he found her in the hospital after her mother left. He must have evaluated her, found out about her abilities and her memory capabilities and just watched her for a while. She went into foster care and he started giving her things, paying for lessons, gymnastics, dance, swimming, karate, acting, language, anything.  
  
"She was barely six years old and he already had her future planned." Sydney glanced over at Kathryn. "She's still so young-"  
  
"That's not everything." Jack opened Sydney's computer. "This is the security video from the safehouse." Sydney watched intently. Kathryn was playing chess with Agent Clark, all of the sudden he slumped over the table, a pool of blood forming in over the board. Kathryn stood up knocking the chair over; she got her bag from the bed. The door opened and the masked gunman who had murdered Agent Clark entered. He went for her. Sydney watched open-mouthed as Kathryn fought her attacker like hell gaining control of his tranq-gun and shot him. Three more men came in and Kathryn fought each one before shooting them with the tranq gun. It was the fourth man who had broken her arm. She then slipped through the small oval window, she was already gone when more masked men came in looking for her.  
  
Jack closed the computer, "We couldn't find her, at first we thought they'd taken her, but we found her hanging off the roof, by one hand, Agent Vaughn brought her down right before she fell."  
  
"This is unreal," Sydney shook her head. "She took out four men more than twice her size-"  
  
"Sloane was training her to be a super spy. You were SD-6's top agent; it's clear that he wanted her to be as good as you, if not better. In Bangkok, at first I thought her shooting that guard was a lucky shot, she told me she'd never held a gun before, but I took her to the shooting range."  
  
"And?"  
  
"She's a perfect shot," Jack leaned back in his chair. "My assumption is that she is telling the truth, she was trained in firearms, she just doesn't remember."  
  
"What are you saying that they erased her memory?"  
  
"Possibly, but there is more Sydney."  
  
Sydney swallowed hard glancing over at Kathryn again. The doctor was just finishing. Kathryn now had a cast from the tips of her fingers up past her elbow. She was angry at her father for not telling her about Sloane's involvement in Kathryn's life but part of her understood why he hadn't told her. What else more could there be.  
  
"Paul Sullivan, her father was with the KGB. Sullivan was an alias, Sloane told me his name was Petrov Ravinski, I looked into it and found that it was another alias. His real name is Petrov Khasinau, he's Alexander Khasinau's brother."  
  
"Khasinau's her uncle," Sydney let out a sigh.  
  
"Possibly, thanks," Jack took the coffee Vaughn had poured for them. "But according to Petrov's medical records, an illness when he was a child had left him unable to reproduce. So either he is her father and the records were wrong or Irina used him to protect Kathryn and herself from the real father. The only person who comes to mind--your mother did have a relationship, professional or otherwise with Alexander Khasinau."  
  
"So what you're saying is that Alexander Khasinau could be her father?" Vaughn finished toweling off his hair and then took a sip of his hot coffee.  
  
"Possibly, they know by now that Kathryn doesn't know anything about The Contessa," Jack took a sip from the mug. "At least not that she knows of. So why are they still after her? Either because they know Irina is her mother and assume she must know something, or because of her father. Anyone could be her father, maybe its no one, or maybe its Khasinau, her mother is the only person who can answer that question." He looked over at Kathryn watching her intently. Weiss was attempting to entertain her with some card tricks; the doctor had already left.  
  
Sydney followed his gaze; "it's not right. She never did anything to deserve this."  
  
"No, it's not," Jack stood up. "She hasn't said anything since we found her, only that she wanted to see you."  
  
"She saw a man murdered, right in front of her, she had his blood all over her. I'm not surprised."  
  
Jack stood up and dialed a number on his cell, "I'm going to call Dixon and update him."  
  
Sydney turned to Vaughn and wrapped her arms around his neck, "thank you, thank you so much. If you hadn't been there-"  
  
"Syd, it's okay," he whispered holding her tight against his chest. "She's fine, we're all fine."  
  
"I know," Sydney let go of him smiling apologetically. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, it's just that if you weren't there and she fell-"  
  
"Never apologize," Vaughn hugged her again and kissed the top of her head. "She's fine, and we're going to keep her safe, they won't get to her again, I promise you. Let's go save her from Weiss' stupid card tricks."  
  
"Sure," she laughed and wiped her eyes again. Sydney grabbed a towel and sat on the edge of the sofa, wringing it through Kathryn's hair.  
  
Vaughn held out a mug of hot chocolate to Kathryn, "I made this for you, it'll warm you up." She remained still and didn't move to take it. "I'll just put it on the table-"  
  
"He had a family," her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, it trembled with exhaustion and emotion, but most of all fear. "Agent Clark, he-he had a wife and children. We were just playing chess and all the sudden there was this sound and then he just stopped talking. There was blood everywhere, all over him and me, it was everywhere. I just had to get out of there. His wife had a baby just last month, did you know that?" she looked up at the three agents, a single tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"Yes we did," Weiss said quietly.  
  
"It was a boy," she smiled. "He was so happy, they have three girls and he was so happy it was a boy. His dad used to take him fishing; he wanted to take his son fishing too. And his oldest daughter, she's twelve she was in her school play last week, she was afraid of forgetting her lines but she never did, she said all of them perfectly. He's teaching his middle daughter how to ride her bike without training wheels, and his youngest.next week is her birthday, she'll be five. She's going to have a Barbie cake and a party and he bought her the Barbie dream house-" Kathryn was crying, she couldn't stop. Her words came out in a jumbled mess of pain, anguish and frustration.  
  
"Shhhh, Katy it's okay," Sydney held Kathryn tightly against her, tears springing to her own eyes. "Everything's going to be alright."  
  
"NO!" She pulled away standing up. "Everything is not going to be alright! Everything is never going to be all right again! What's wrong with you people! Jacob is never going to know his father, and Lucy, might even have a few memories of him. Celeste and Isabelle, they'll be the lucky ones, if they're lucky, they won't forget the way his voice sounded when he walked in the door, or how he used to read them bed time stories at night, or what his after shave smelled like. He was an innocent person! Why did he have to die because of me! WHY!!!!"  
  
"Kathryn, he didn't die because of you-"  
  
"Yes he did! He was protecting me, and he died for it. They were all protecting me and they died, this is all MY fault!" She was on her knees now, not wanting help from Weiss who was just trying to take her hand and help her up. She fought them away her body racked with sobs; even Vaughn had to blink away a tear. "This is all my fault!!!!"  
  
"Kathryn, that's enough," Jack sat on the coffee table and strongly took her hand guiding her towards him. "It was not your fault that those agents died. They were doing their jobs. It was their duty to protect you and you had no control over the outcome. Now you can help so that their deaths were not in vain. I want you to stop crying and to focus, can you do that?"  
  
"Yes," she hiccuped and wiped her eyes with her good her. "Yes," she tried desperately to calm herself.  
  
"I want you to focus, think very hard Kathryn. Are you concentrating?"  
  
"Yes," there was only a small quiver left in her voice now.  
  
"Have you ever heard the name Khasinau before? Alexander or Petrov Khasinau?" Jack gripped her right shoulder tightly. "Think clearly, have you ever heard that name before?"  
  
She was silent for several moments, her respiration shaky and irregular. Finally she spoke.  
  
"Yes." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
PLEASE GIVE FEEDBACK!!!!!!!!!!!! Coming Up!! How does Kathryn know Khasinau? and soon she's in for a little hypnotic regression therapy might answer some questions or just create new ones. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N: Thanks for the replies guys, keep them coming! I'd love some feedback on what people like and don't like etc…. Here is Chapter 12 now some of you may have missed chapter 11 because although it was posted, the story never moved to the top, nor did the chapter number change. Also a prewarning: Chapter 13 will contain some heavy stuff so just warning you.

Oh and the song is I Shall Believe by Sheryl Crow

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Redemption  
Chapter Twelve

"Have you ever heard the name Khasinau before? Alexander or Petrov Khasinau?" Jack gripped her right shoulder tightly. "Think clearly, have you ever heard that name before?"

She was silent for several moments, her respiration shaky and irregular. Finally she spoke.

"Yes."

"When?"

"My dad, I don't really remember him, but before he died he was arguing with, with my mom." Kathryn squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to remember. "It was right before he died, the day-no the night before. They were fighting, they woke me."

"What were they fighting about?" 

"I don't know," she shook her head. "They were speaking another language. It might have been Russian, but I'm not sure. She said his name a couple times, I was scared, I was hiding on the stairs and they couldn't see me. She said it, she said Alexander Khasinau. She was crying, she was upset, but she said it. And then she saw me. He killed himself the next day, I found him in the bathtub…."

"Okay that's enough," Sydney interrupted. "She's had enough," she told her father and helped Kathryn to her feet. "What did Dixon say?"

"He wanted us to bring her in."

"What did you say?" 

"That we weren't moving tonight, the safest place for her is right here."

"Thank you," she wrapped the blanket around Kathryn. "Come on Katy, I'll get you some dry clothes."

~~~

__

Come to me now  
And lay your hands over me  
Even if it's a lie  
Say it will be alright   
And I shall believe

She was supposed to be sleeping, she couldn't, she didn't think she could ever sleep again. Every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was red. The images were burned into her memory. All she wanted to do was just forget but she couldn't see that happening anytime soon. The moon was bright, the rain had long since stopped but it was still cold and she shivered.

"I thought I told you to stay away from the window."

Kathryn turned slightly and saw Jack, he stood in the doorway; she shrugged.

"Everyone else is asleep," Jack entered the room.

"I couldn't sleep," she turned her attention back to the window tracing imaginary designs on the fogged window. 

"Couldn't, or wouldn't."

She ignored him. "What happens now?"

Jack took a blanket from the bed and walked over to her spreading it over her. "Tomorrow we will take you back to the Operations Center." He sat down on the window seat next to Kathryn. "Director Kendall wants you to undergo a hypnotic regression therapy session, however I advise against it."

"What is it?"

"You are hypnotized and monitored closely and the doctor takes you through your memories, that way we can possibly find out details that you can't remember."

"Seems harmless enough, why did you say no?"

"Because it isn't harmless Kathryn." Jack turned to face her and for a moment she thought she saw a flicker of actual concern showing through his voice. "Hypnotic regression is dangerous, you relive your experience moment by moment. We wouldn't even know where to start with you. The outcome could cause more harm that is intended."

"But it's my choice?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then I'll do it."

"Kathryn you cannot understand the full-"

"All I have ever wanted since I was five was a family," Kathryn blinked away her tears forcing herself to look directly at Jack. "Arvin Sloane was the only person who came close to that and now I know he was just using me. Now I have her, Sydney, and I am not going to give up without a fight. If this therapy can be of any help, then I am prepared for the consequences." She turned back to the window staring blankly at the city lights a far and tracing hearts in the fog.

Jack nodded accepting her decision. He knew there was no way to change her mind, but he still believed it was a mistake.

__

I'm broken in two  
And I know you're on to me  
That I only come home  
When I'm so all alone  
But I can believe

  
That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly   
You won't give up on me  
And I shall believe  
And I shall believe

"You don't like me much do you."

Jack turned to look at her; her voice was so faint he wasn't even sure he'd heard her correctly. "I don't know you well enough to make that assumption."

"It wasn't a question, it was a statement," Kathryn eventually turned towards him. "Regardless of that, I am going to be honest with you. There are exactly four people in the world that I trust right now and they are all in this house. Agent Bristow, I am not my mother. I know that she is a horrible person and she hurt you and Sydney very much, but she hurt me too and I won't forgive her for that. "I know that for your daughters sake you will protect me, and I thank you for it. But I'm not afraid of you. You can't intimidate me into anything. I make my own decisions where my life is concerned, but I will take your advice under consideration. Agent Bristow you are one of those four people that I trust, and I will do what I can to help. More than anyone else, I want this to be over. I want my life back. 

Jack almost smiled, she had guts. She adjusted the blanket pulling it down over her legs. "How's your arm?" He asked.

"Hurts like a bitch, but I'll live," she shrugged eyeing the plastered masterpiece.

"You fought well," Jack said suddenly. "You did very well, very few people can defeat men more than twice their size and you did with a broken arm, I was very impressed."

"You knew," she said confused. "You took me to that shooting range because you knew I could shoot. I didn't lie, I don't remember ever shooting before-"

"I know," Jack interrupted her. "I knew you didn't remember, but I took you to the shooting range to see how good of a shot you were. You were obviously trained at some point in time and then your memory was 'altered.'"

"How did I do?" She asked.

Jack let out a reserved smile. "Perfect shot" 

Kathryn smiled secretly turning her head to face the window. "Did you find my cat?" she asked a few minutes later.

"What?"

"My cat, she's all black her name is Cleo, when you were at my apartment in New York did you see her?"

"No, The report never said anything about a cat," he shook his head. "But I'm sure she's fine, someone's taking care of her," he added gruffly.

"Sure," she turned back to the window. "It's pretty out here, in LA," she whispered. 

__

Open the door  
And show me your face tonight  
I know it's true  
No one heals me like you  
And you hold the key

Jack watched her for several minutes; she was quiet, reserved. It was a side of her he hadn't really experienced. She didn't have her guard up; she was fragile, broken. He had no doubt she was imaging what her life could be like, if all of this had never happened. He took note of the she was sitting, her knees pulled up to her chest, her chin resting on them. 

"You should sleep-"

"I'm not tired."

"You're scared-"

"Excuse me?"

"You always sit like that when you're scared," he pointed at her legs. 

She didn't respond.

"No one will harm you tonight Kathryn, I promise you that." He stood up leaning over her he gathered her in his arms. Cradling her close to his chest he carried her across the room to the bed. "If you intend to go through with the hypnotic therapy session tomorrow, you need rest."

Kathryn watched him confused and surprised at his sudden change as he set her down and pulled the blankets up around her shoulders and lifted her broken arm onto a pillow to reduce the strain on her shoulder.

__

Never again  
Would I turn away from you  
I'm so heavy tonight  
But your love is alright   
And I do believe

  
That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly  
You won't give up on me  
And I shall believe  
I shall believe.

Jack reached over and turned out the bedside light. "Wait," Kathryn caught his hand as he turned to leave. "Will you stay?" her voice quivered reminding him of when Sydney was a child and she would ask him to chase the monsters out from under her bed. "Please," she whispered. "Just until I fall asleep."

Jack looked down at her; all he could see was his daughter when she was little. Kathryn reminded him so much of Sydney, so much of what he'd missed as she grew up. "There aren't any monsters here Kathryn." 

"They're in my head." 

Her eyes begged him. They were so full of fear, she was afraid to fall asleep; afraid the monsters would haunt her dreams, even though she knew they would. Jack pulled a lounge chair over beside the bed and sat down. He took her hand between his. Hers small and delicate, his large and rough. Strong, that was how it felt to her. Finally she shut her eyes. 

Jack did keep his word. He held her hand until she fell asleep, but he didn't let it go until dawn broke the next morning. He held it throughout the night and early morning, through her whimpers and cries as the monsters invaded her dreams and her tears stained the pillow.

__

Come to me now  
And lay your hand over me  
Even if it's a lie  
Say it will be alright  
And I shall believe

  
Open the door  
And show me your face tonight  
I know its true  
No one heals me like you  
And you hold the key

  
Never again  
Would I turn away from you  
I'm so heavy tonight  
But your love is alright   
And I do believe

  
That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly  
You won't give up on me  
And I shall believe  
I shall……….  
Believe

Please give feedback!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

A/N: This chapter is toned down a bit from what I had intended to write because it just wasn't working. It's not a very good chapter but is necessary in revealing Kathryn's history and why she is the way she is and exactly how far her hatred for Irina goes. I feel like I left things out, so any questions just ask, her memories will be dealt with again in the next chapter for some further explanation. P.S. this isn't intended to be a pity Kathryn chapter, she's full of surprises.  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
Jack, Vaughn, Weiss, Dixon and Kendall all stood behind glass. She looked up at them. They were talking. Jack looked angry, his arms were crossed over his chest. Sydney gave her a small smile; "you don't have to do this Katy."  
  
"I have to, if it will help, I just have to. He looks angry," she nodded to Jack who was arguing with Kendall. She swallowed nervously as the doctor restrained her hands.  
  
"He doesn't think that you should do this," Sydney said taking her good hand. "And I agree with him."  
  
"It's my decision," Kathryn said firmly. "If it can help and all this can end." She was silent for a few moments as the doctor arranged the machines and wires and explained their importance. "Will I know what I'm saying?" she asked softly. "I mean I can say anything, I won't really have control over it will I."  
  
"No, you won't have any control, you'll remember what you said after though." Sydney smoothened her hair sensing that there was something that Kathryn was hiding, a memory that she didn't want them to know about. "Whatever happens, you'll be safe, I'll be right behind the door."  
  
"Do they all have to be there?" she asked looking up at the men behind the glass.  
  
"Yes," Sydney nodded apologetically.  
  
"Okay," she gave her a weak smile. "I'll be fine."  
  
"Ms. Bristow, we're ready to begin," the doctor held open the door for Sydney. She squeezed Kathryn's hand one last time before leaving the room and joining the others behind the glass.  
  
Kathryn swallowed hard, her respirations were shallow, forced and her hands shook. She looked up at the window, Sydney gave her a small wave and she smiled back. She looked around; the room was small and white, sterile, just like the hospital. She swallowed hard.  
  
"Kathryn," the doctor sat in a chair beside her. "I want you to clear your mind and close your eyes. I'm going to count backwards from five. When I get to one, you will open your eyes and I want you to tell me where you are."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Five"  
  
"Four"  
  
"Three"  
  
"Two"  
  
"One"  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
Kathryn let out a tortured scream so suddenly Sydney cried out covering her mouth with her hand.  
  
"Kathryn, no one can hurt you, it's just a memory." The doctor leaned forwards in her seat. "Tell me where you are, look around."  
  
Her eyes darted from side to side filling with tears, "in a hospital."  
  
"After your mother died?"  
  
"No, I'm older, I just turned thirteen. Arvin's with me; he's holding my hand. He keeps saying that it will be okay, it's best for everyone, I know he's right but I just want to know, god it hurts so much."  
  
"What's happening now?"  
  
"The doctor, he's putting a mask over me, and I'm tired, I'm going to sleep. He says it will all be over when I wake up."  
  
"You're awake now Kathryn."  
  
"Yeah." Kathryn was crying, her voice choked. "I'm tired, the medication--- I don't feel anything. Arvin's there and he's holding my hand, just like he promised. He tells me I'm going to be alright but I don't want to be. I just want to know I keep asking him but he won't tell me. He says it's for the best and I know he's right, I know but I just want to know-"  
  
"What do you want to know?" The doctor asked.  
  
"If it's a boy or a girl; he won't tell me. The baby is being adopted and its best, I know I can't be a mother I know but I just want to know the baby's name."  
  
"Oh God," Sydney covered her mouth she felt like she would be sick. Vaughn put his arm around her waist comforting her. She looked up at her father, his jaw was clenched she could see the tension in him. She focused her attention back to Kathryn.  
  
"Kathryn I want you to close your eyes, when you open them again, you will be in a new memory, I want you to think back to a time when you were scared." Kathryn followed her instructions. "Where are you Kathryn?"  
  
"It's dark, there's a light a little one, I'm in a closet, I'm hiding."  
  
"Who are you hiding from?"  
  
"It's Mr. Caldwell-my foster father. I don't want him to find me."  
  
"How old are you? Why don't you want him to find you?" The doctor adjusted one of the monitors and checked her pulse.  
  
"Just little, eight or nine? No, younger, I lived with the Caldwell's before the Spencer's; I'm six or seven maybe. He's getting closer, he's opening the door, I don't want him to find me, I don't want him to hurt me again."  
  
Sydney couldn't take anymore she needed air. Her hands trembling she fought with the door handle and finally opened it. She ran down the hall to a window and collapsed on her knees with shaking hands she opened it breathing in the clean air. Slowly her breathing returned to normal. She felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up she expected Vaughn but it was her father.  
  
"Sydney, you need to get a hold of yourself and get back in there." He was forward, authoritative.  
  
"We can't let Kendall do this-"  
  
"Kathryn, knew full well what she was getting herself in to," Sydney hadn't expected his harsh words. "I told her exactly how this worked and Robert Lindsey just showed up from the NSC. If Kathryn can't help us, he's taking her back into protective custody, she'll be gone by tonight." He helped Sydney to her feet. "I do not trust Lindsey so I will allow it to continue to see if she says anything that can be of use. I do not want her in his custody, but I will stop it, if it gets too far. Now get control of yourself and get back in there." Jack turned on his heel and walked away.  
  
Sydney knew her father was right. If the NSC got some kind of information out of Kathryn, it would be better than nothing at all. Taking a few deep breaths, Sydney smoothened her hair and then followed her father back in.  
  
"I don't want to do it, don't make me please!" Kathryn's cries were torturous.  
  
Sydney clenched her fists at her sides and stood between Lindsey and Vaughn. How could anyone harm a child in that manner. It was repulsing. She was finally beginning to understand why Kathryn kept as many secrets as she did and why she had been worried about saying something that she didn't mean to. She never wanted anyone to know what had happened to her as a child. It was the very reason she had switched foster homes so often. Sydney began to realize the pain behind her sister's eyes, why her smiles were always fake, why her eyes could turn to ice at any moment and she wouldn't take things at face value. Why she always pretended to be so strong shielding herself from everyone else. Sydney finally understood why she was so much older than her seventeen years; she'd been through so much pain in her life. Sydney bit her lip to keep herself from crying and she tried to swallow the lump that was building in her throat.  
  
"Please don't. I don't want to do it. I won't tell anyone I promise I'll be good. Please no, it hurts.it hurts."  
  
Kathryn's screams were haunted, Sydney turned and saw that even Weiss had closed his eyes, he couldn't even look at her. It seemed endless but finally the doctor told Kathryn to close her eyes.  
  
"Remember Kathryn, it's not really happening its just a memory," the doctor adjusted the monitor again. "I want you to close your eyes and calm down, no one can hurt you anymore. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes," her voice was small, childlike.  
  
"I want you to think about your father, he and your mother had a fight before he died, think about that." The doctor returned to her seat. "Open your eyes. Tell me where you are."  
  
"I'm in my room when I was little," Kathryn's voice was smaller sounding even younger than before. "I'm supposed to be sleeping but I can't. Mommy and Daddy are fighting too loudly I can hear them. I'm hiding on the stairs, I'll get in trouble if they know I'm there."  
  
"What are they fighting about?"  
  
"I don't know I can't understand, they're talking so fast. Daddy, mom keeps saying Daddy's name. But she's not talking to Daddy; there is someone else there. It's a man-he's tall and he looks like my daddy but he's not. She says his name, Alexander.."  
  
"Khasinau," Sydney whispered under her breath.  
  
"Alexander, I don't know what they are saying, they're talking to fast." Kathryn began switching from Russian to English as she tried to decipher what they were saying, but it was of no use, nothing was making sense. "He's mad at Daddy, he's yelling at him. Mommy keeps telling him to be quiet, he'll wake me but he won't listen. He's still yelling at Daddy, he's saying mean things to him, he's saying...he's not my father, he's telling Daddy that he's not my father. They're yelling, they won't stop yelling he's taking something out of his pocket---"  
  
The six agents observing behind the glass wall held their breath.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Kathryn's body began jerking from the bed as she fought the restraints. "No Daddy..." she sobbed. "He shot my daddy, why did he shoot daddy, why?"  
  
Sydney reached for the door; she had to stop this.  
  
"Do Not open that door Agent Bristow," Lindsey's voice stopped her cold.  
  
"This isn't right."  
  
"She agreed to it."  
  
Sydney drew back from the door, interfering now might only hurt Kathryn in the long run.  
  
"She'll be okay," Vaughn whispered softly in her ear and took her hand squeezing it gently, just to let her know that he was there.  
  
"Ask her about the Contessa," Kendall spoke to the doctor through the comm link.  
  
"Kathryn, do you remember The Contessa?" The doctor as softly.  
  
The tears were gone from her eyes, Kathryn was silent.  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"A big house. It's really big, there's people hear they're saying stuff I can't understand.. Mommy's here were not in New York anymore."  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"Russia, after Daddy died we went to Russia. It's my birthday, I'm five. There are people here that I don't know, they're talking with mom, she's mad, and she's talking about Christmas.. But its not Christmas, its summer. I'm looking at my book, mommy gave it to me for my birthday, Alice in Wonderland but it doesn't have many pictures--He's here-" her eyes suddenly became fearful, filled with tears.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
"The bad man, the one that hurt Daddy. He has my hand and we're walking down a big hall away from mommy. Just him, me and Sophie."  
  
"Whose Sophie?"  
  
"My dolly, Julian gave her to me. He says he wants to show me a secret, a secret no one knows about. The Countess"  
  
"What is it Kathryn, what's the secret?"  
  
"I don't know," she shook her head. "He lifts me up so I can see, it's shiny and it sparkles. Mommy's coming, he says. Mommy's mad that he took me, she didn't know where I was. We're going home now, but Sophie, I forgot Sophie. Mommy says we'll come back tomorrow to get her. I don't like it in Russia, it's too cold, Mommy says we're going back to New York, I'll miss Julian too much, I don't want to go."  
  
Jack crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw clenched. Irina Derevko never ceased to amaze him with her lack of regard for either of her daughters.  
  
"Did you ever see the bad man again?" The doctor asked.  
  
"Uh-huh, in New York, we're going to see Mommy."  
  
"Who is?"  
  
"Me, Sophie and Charlotte my babysitter, she looks like mommy, she has dark hair. I want to show her my picture. Charlotte opens the door, I can hear mommy talking, and there are loud noises and men with guns. MOMMY!" Kathryn screams were marred by sobs.  
  
"What's happening Kathryn?" The doctor asked calmly.'  
  
"They're shooting their guns, mommy's running to me but it hurts, it hurts." Kathryn's voice had become unusually quiet. "She's yelling at them, her hands there's blood everywhere. She's crying, she's scared. My stomach hurts, she's pressing on it. The bad man, he's telling her to go, he's telling her to leave me. Mommy don't leave, don't leave me please Mommy please. He's pulling her away. " Kathryn's cries were getting louder and louder.  
  
Sydney found herself crying. Kathryn was thrashing wildly on the bed her screams piercing everyone's ears. "Katy," she whispered putting her hand up to the glass.  
  
"Why is she going, she doesn't want to go but he's pulling her away. Mama don't leave me, Mama!! MAMA!!!!!"  
  
"ENOUGH!" Jack finally shouted out startling everyone he pressed the comm link "Bring her out of it now!"  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Lindsey said furiously.  
  
"This has gone on long enough. Sydney get her, we're leaving."  
  
Sydney wasted down time in getting to Kathryn.  
  
"Jack-" Dixon began.  
  
"You're interfering with a-" Kendall began  
  
"You got what you were after. You know what she knows about The Contessa and you know who her father is. She's done."  
  
"Where are you taking her?" Dixon asked.  
  
"Someplace safe." Jack opened the door heading into the room.  
  
Sydney freed Kathryn from the restraints; Vaughn pulled off the monitor hook ups. "Come on Kit Kat," he began lifting her into his arms but she freaked.  
  
"Don't touch me," she cried out.  
  
"Katy it's okay, Vaughn's just trying to help," Sydney wrapped her arms around her holding her close for a second; she rubbed Kathryn's back soothing her. "He's just going to help you until the medication wears off."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"That'a girl," slowly Vaughn lifted her off the chair and she hooked her arms around her neck. She was drowsy from the medication she'd been given and moments later she was asleep in his arms.  
  
"Take her back to your place," Jack said. "I'll deal with Lindsey and Kendall and contact you later. Watch her."  
  
"Okay," Sydney nodded and held the door open for Vaughn. "I'll see you later."  
  
Turning slowly, Jack faced his angry superiors. They just wouldn't be able to understand the repercussions of Kathryn's hypnotic regression. All they could understand is that Kathryn had given them some information and then he'd ended it. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

A/N So this chapter took a few days longer to get out than I thought, just been busy. Thanks for all the wonderful replies, I'm glad to know that people are enjoying the story so much. Nothing real eventful in this chapter just a needed establishing chapter while I get my thoughts and ideas organized.  
  
This chapter is for Egyptian Kat cause she always makes me laugh lol. Please reply Q's, ideas, predictions anything at all.  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Sydney stood in the doorway her arms crossed over her chest just watching Kathryn sleep. It was an odd feeling she'd decided, just standing there and watching her sister sleep and feeling peaceful. But Sydney knew that even in her sleep Kathryn wasn't peaceful. She moaned words, phrases, Sydney couldn't understand but assumed they weren't happy ones. Her cheeks were stained with tears; Sydney didn't even know it was possible for someone to cry in their sleep but apparently it was.  
  
Vaughn had brought Kathryn home and put her to sleep, he'd told Sydney that she hadn't even woken up when he brought her in from the car, the medication she'd been given had its effect, she would be asleep for several more hours. Sydney hadn't come home right away; there was someone she'd needed to visit first. Suddenly she felt arms around her.  
  
"You don't have to watch her ever second," Vaughn whispered in her ear wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
"I know," she leaned back against him relishing the feel of the roughness of his against hers as he kissed her cheek. "It just makes me feel better."  
  
He took her hand leading her away from the room. "Did you have any luck?"  
  
"Yeah," Sydney nodded. She stopped in the hallway holding Vaughn's hand squeezing it tightly. "He-"  
  
"Hey," Vaughn tilted her chin up and thumbed away a tear. "She'll be okay, she's just like you." He gave her a half smile. "You are the strongest person that I know, and she's strong like you. The fact that she's even here today tells you something. Some people would just give up they wouldn't have the will.the desire to live if they'd been through what she has. But she's still here and she's still fighting."  
  
"You always know what to say," she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I'll talk to her about it when she wakes up."  
  
"I'm hungry," Vaughn rubbed his stomach as they continued walking down the hall.  
  
"When aren't you hungry," Syd laughed elbowing him lightly in the stomach.  
  
"When I'm doing this." he suddenly grabbed her hands hooking them around his neck he pressed her against the wall kissing her deeply. She moaned softly against his mouth as a knock on her front door pulled them apart.  
  
"That'll be my father," she murmured softly against his lips.  
  
"I should go. Call me later?"  
  
"Yeah," She got his jacket from the couch and moved towards the door, hearing the knock again. "Thank you for bringing her home.for staying with her.for everything."  
  
"No problem," he kissed her forehead one last time before she opened the door and he left.  
  
Jack walked into Sydney's house without saying even a word. He looked tired she noted. Then again it was no wonder; she'd seen him early that morning, as dawn broke. He'd been sitting in the chair beside Kathryn's bed. The room was still too dark to see clearly and Sydney had gone in to see for sure. She never could have pictured her father this way. He was peaceful and relaxed stretched out on the chair his head tilted in an ungodly position that would no doubt leave him with an ache for the day. Stepping closer, in the soft gleam of the morning sun breaking through the blinds she saw his arm outstretched. At first she couldn't believe her eyes. She was surprised, yet not surprised all at the same time to see her father holding Kathryn's hand. He'd spent the night holding her hand offering her comfort as she slept fighting her way through the nightmares of the days events. Kathryn had slept unwaking, and Sydney attributed that to the strange image of her father holding her sister's hand.  
  
Jack took a seat on the counter stool; his usual poker face revealed nothing.  
  
Sydney closed the door after watching Vaughn drive off and noted the car across the street, a dark blue sedan; obviously CIA agents keeping an eye on the house. Sensing they both needed an icebreaker Sydney pulled out two shot glasses and a bottle of Tequila from her kitchen cupboard and poured them both a glass. Jack drank his quickly and then poured another and another. He'd drunk four shots by the time he even opened his mouth.  
  
"They've agreed to allow her to stay here for the time being until we figure out what to do with her. In exchange she has to see Dr. Barnett tomorrow and Friday and set up a regular schedule. However, if anything happens Lindsey will put her in protective custody-no negotiations."  
  
"Lindsey's an ass," Sydney downed another shot of Tequila.  
  
"Maybe but right now he's all that's standing between having Kathryn with you and having her in a prison." He stood and then searched Sydney's liquor cabinet for a bottle of scotch. He found one and poured himself a glass. He stood drinking it slowly.  
  
"The absolute worst thing would be to put her in protective custody."  
  
"Agreed," Jack poured himself another drink but didn't drink it. "They are going to question her tomorrow, both Kendall and Lindsey, regarding her regression. Agent Weiss and Agent Vaughn will sit in but Kendall felt that you as her sister would be too much of a distraction. Depending on how the interviews, they may want another regression therapy done to see if she can reveal any more details about The Contessa." Slowly he poured the second scotch down the sink deciding that he'd had enough.  
  
"No," Sydney shook her head. "They can't do that. She's already been through hell and back, if she goes through another session."  
  
"I know." Changing his mind, Jack grabbed his glass and poured another shot of scotch. "We'll just hope that for now the information she gave is good enough." He downed the glass and set it in the sink.  
  
Sydney helped herself to another shot and kicked off her shoes. "So Khasinau is her father."  
  
"Apparently so."  
  
"I can't say I've ever understood mom but Khasinau." she shuddered, "he's worse than slime."  
  
"I don't think anyone will ever understand Irina Derevko-" Jack was cut off by the sudden screaming from above.  
  
"Katy!" Sydney pounded up the stairs; Jack following close behind; they entered the room. Kathryn was in the midst of a violent nightmare. Her screams pierced their ears and she thrashed violently on the bed. Cries of No, Mommy, and Daddy were the only distinguishable words Sydney could make out.  
  
"Sydney, hold her arm still," Jack took a large syringe out of his suit pocket and used his teeth to bite the tip off. He climbed on the bed straddling Kathryn's small frame.  
  
"I'm trying-" Sydney said through gritted teeth. Kathryn was much stronger than she appeared to be as Sydney forced her arm to the pillow. Finding a vein Jack attempted to insert the needle but Kathryn jerked her arm up and he missed and stabbed Sydney by accident.  
  
"Sorry sweetheart," Jack looked at her arm to make sure it was okay.  
  
"It's fine," despite using both her hands Sydney was still having trouble keeping Kathryn's arm still. "Is she even awake?"  
  
"In a way," Jack caught Kathryn's chin in his hand and gripped it tightly. "Stop fighting us!" he said in a voice that was almost a low growl. She relented slightly; still unaware of what was going on though her eyes were wide open. Helping Sydney hold Kathryn's arm down he quickly inserted the needle and slowly she stilled, her eyes drooping closed.  
  
"Wow," Sydney sighed shaking her head. "She does not look that strong and I was not going easy on her at all."  
  
"I know," Jack frowned looking down at her. He pulled the discarded blanket up around her shoulders. "She should sleep till morning now."  
  
"I'll stay with her," Sydney pulled the lounge chair over to the side of her bed.  
  
"Sydney no - I'll stay."  
  
"But Dad-"  
  
"You have an early morning brief. I will stay with her."  
  
She knew there was no changing his mind. "Good night Dad."  
  
He didn't answer. Turning she stood in the doorway watching him for a moment. He took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. Kathryn moaned in her sleep eliciting a small cry from deep down in her throat, a cry of anguish. Sydney covered her own mouth fighting back tears. Jack reached for the cool cloth on the bedside table and wiped down her face. "Daddy, Daddy no."  
  
"Shhhhh," Jack passed the cloth over her forehead once more and sat on the edge of the bed. He lifted her broken arm putting a pillow under it.  
  
Turning Sydney left the doorway. She'd never be able to shake that image from her mind. Her life with her father had never been a simple one. He'd always been distant and as she entered her teenage years they'd grown apart. In the last two years they'd begun to forge a relationship of some kind, the lies and the tension between them slowly dissipating but they were not close and she felt a twinge of jealously and guilt. Watching her father now, she could see a side of him that she hadn't seen since she was a little girl, a side that she didn't know even existed anymore. Sydney knew her father cared for her that he loved her even though his emotions were not something he shared. But now as she watched him caring for her sister, the stiffness was gone, his poker face softened and he cared for her sister as he would have done his own daughter, even though she was not. Slowly she walked down the hall; Kathryn's cries growing ever faint.  
  
"Daddy, daddy please," Kathryn was crying again, her eyes were closed but fresh tears escaped staining her cheeks.  
  
Jack brushed her hair back from her face and settled on the chair. He took her hand in his; small fingers interlacing large ones. She reminded him so much of Sydney and seeing her like this, completely helpless, she was just a child in need of reassurance and protection. He swallowed hard as he leaned back in the chair never letting go of her hand. He could have never pictured himself in this position, if it had been Sydney yes but not anyone else. He, Jack Bristow, holding the hand of Irina Derevko's daughter, the daughter that was not his own. The child of a woman he hated, who'd betrayed him over and over again, betrayed his daughter, betrayed Kathryn and abandoned her, but in some way he knew he still loved her, a small part of him that he could not let go. He didn't hate Kathryn, as much as she thought he did - he didn't hate her at all. He didn't understand her, didn't understand why after so many years of pain and suffering she was still here. The answer was simple but he found it hard to believe that even that was enough. She was strong. Her mother was strong and her sister too, they were who she had received her strength from, certainly not her bastard of a father. But as he sat there listening to her call out for her father, he couldn't help but wonder why. She'd only met her biological father a few times and the man she thought was her father had barely been around long enough for her to remember him.  
  
"Daddy, daddy."  
  
"Shhhh," Jack reached over wiped her cheeks. "Just sleep Kathryn, sleep."  
  
And finally she did, but restful it was not.  
  
A/N Please give feedback. Coming up next chapter Kathryn gets some answers and Will gets a good scare! 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

A/N Okay sorry this chapter took a lot longer than it was supposed to but hey, it's a decent chapter. And Yes it is long, the longest chapter so far, I seem to have an inability to write chapters shorter than four pages and this one well it just quadrupled that lol. But the pen was flowing or I guess keys were flowing would be the correct way to say it and I couldn't stop but here ya go! But first the comments notes oh and please Reply with Feedback Yay!  
  
AnnaSun- I can't believe you commented on every chapter, thank you so much!! Your comments meant a lot to me!  
  
Kat( How's hideaway and how are you? The fires were close to your house I think you said so I hope you're all okay and that goes for everyone in the cali region.  
  
Irina Derevko( So my intention was not to turn Jack too sappy so I'm going to have to straighten him up lol expect that soon ( lol Erin rubs her hands together laughing evily as she plots Jack's future lol)  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Her arm was asleep, that was the first thing she noticed when she woke. The second was feeling a large hand encompassing hers. Groggily Kathryn opened her eyes, her arms ached, both the broken one and her good arm where an ugly bruise was already beginning to pigment her skin. She could vaguely remember some sort of struggle, someone holding her arm down and another telling her to stop fighting. It was still early and she kept her arm still as not to wake him. She smiled slightly at Jack's disheveled appearance. She knew he wouldn't be happy to know anyone had seen him like this; the top buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, his tie hung loosely around his neck and his jacket had fallen to the floor. His head hung low on his chest and he was quiet as he slept but he never let go of her hand. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Daddy, Daddy"  
  
He stood across the room, but still he heard the soft whisper of a moan and turning he saw her beginning to stir. Jack walked over to her and shook her arm lightly. "Kathryn, time to wake up."  
  
"Daddy? Oh," her mouth felt dry and cracked. "I was dreaming about my father." She tried to explain.  
  
"I know," he replied briskly seeing the redness creep up her cheeks. "Time to get up."  
  
She watched him walk out of the room; he was cool and collected and completely unlike his appearance early that morning; a smile traced her lips just thinking about it. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table, 6:30 am. It was much too early for her. Actually she was more used to going to bed only a few hours before and not waking up until well past noon; the hazards of being the evening waitress and night time singer that she was.  
  
"Hi."  
  
The moment Kathryn looked at Sydney the entire past day's events came rushing back to her at full speed. She swallowed hard and looked down examining her fingernails. She couldn't face Sydney, not after what had happened. Her hands shook. She felt ashamed, afraid that Sydney would treat her differently now that she knew her secrets. She didn't want to be pitied or treated like a piece of glass. She just wanted to return to her life as a normal 17-year-old girl; but then again normality had never been in the cards for her.  
  
"I've got someone for you."  
  
She smiled slightly when Sydney plopped the rag doll in front of her. "Sophie." She smiled softly gently running the tips of her fingers over her oldest friends worn face. Growing up, Sophie had more often than not been her only friend, her only confident. Sophie was the one who held all her secrets.  
  
Sydney sat down on the bed. Kathryn couldn't even looked at her. "I thought you could use a friendly face." She still didn't respond and Sydney cut right to the chase.  
  
"What you did-what you knew would happen. You knew we would find out about things that had happened to you, horrible, terrible things that were done to you. You didn't want us to know but you did the hypnosis anyway. That must have been an incredibly hard thing to do and took a lot of courage, I- I" Sydney shrugged and gave up not knowing what else to say, not able to find the words to express how she felt. A part of her wanted to hear Kathryn's story but another part of her was afraid of what she would say.  
  
Finally Kathryn looked up at her. Her eyes were rimmed with red and her hair hung limply hiding her tear stained cheeks, her voice was calm, quiet and remarkably confident. "I didn't want you to know, I never wanted anyone to know. I didn't want it to happen, it just did and then it didn't stop and I wanted it to stop, I swear to you Sydney I did. But he said no one would believe me, he said he'd kill me if I told anyone so I never did. I almost told you before the hypnosis, but I didn't know how. I didn't want you to find out that way but I didn't know what I would say during the hypnosis if I said anything about it, I didn't know how much of it I wanted to tell you."  
  
Sydney kept her distance not wanting to smother Katy; to let her talk but it was hard when all she wanted to do was find Kathryn's former foster father and slit his throat. "Did he stop hurting you?"  
  
"His wife, I think she knew something was going on. I lived there for about a year and one day I can home from school and my Social Worker was there. I switched foster homes and it did stop.for a while. The good homes, no one wanted to keep me, I was 'too much trouble'," she shook her head. "They wouldn't keep me because I would have bad dreams and they didn't want to deal with that. I lived so many places I don't even remember them all."  
  
"But it happened again."  
  
"Every once in a while," she nodded tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It wasn't always. sex, if you'd even call it that. Sometimes it was and they would really hurt me, but sometimes it wasn't. I'm not the only kid it's ever happened to.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Kathryn didn't speak for several minutes. She stood up wandering the room, deciding against her own conscious what she would and wouldn't tell Sydney. Deciding in her heart what she herself could and could not handle telling her sister. She'd never told anyone before, no one in the world knew all her secrets and it would have been so easy to just tell Sydney that they had been a few isolated incidences, but Sydney didn't deserve lies. She didn't need, nor would she want to be protected from the ugly truth. She'd been nothing but kind to Kathryn and she was her sister. Her sister deserved honesty even if it was at a cost. Slowly she turned back to Sydney and sat down on the window seat pulling her knees up to her chest. "It started with my foster father Mr. Caldwell when I lived with them for about a year when I was six. When I first came there, I didn't know it was happening. He used to give me baths, I mean I was six, I was old enough to do it myself but he said I might fall or something. That's how it started just touching, I didn't like it but I didn't realize what was happening and then Mrs. Caldwell went to visit her mother. That's when it changed, when he wanted to play a game. I said no, I told him that it hurt but he didn't listen, he wouldn't stop no matter how much I cried and after a while I just stopped saying no, and I stopped crying, it was easier to just let him do it, to let them all do it. I just pretended that I was far away and no one could hurt me. I used to hide in my closet with Sophie, I tried to be as quiet as I could so he wouldn't find me, but he always did. He always wanted to hurt me. I remember everything about him, everything that happened with him. His skin, it was cold and clammy and soft. His voice the way it sounded when he whispered in my ear-what he said. I remember how his breath smelt and the sounds he made when he was hurting me," she choked back a sob closing her eyes tightly fighting the urge to be sick. "One day I left there. After him it was one of my other foster fathers or a couple times it was another kid. Sometimes they'd really. hurt me or sometimes." Kathryn was trembling as she tried to maintain control over her emotions. Her voice steadied out, "or sometimes they'd just touch me, or, or make me do things. come into my bed at night, take off my clothes, take off their clothes." Kathryn was shaking so hard she could scarcely breathe. She'd never told anyone before and it was almost relieving to finally empty the burden that had been weighing her down since she was a child. With shaking hands she wiped her eyes. "By the time I realized how wrong it was, that it wasn't my fault it was too late. I did try to tell once, when I was eight. Bryan, he was one of the kids in the group home he was fourteen or fifteen maybe, he used to come into my room at night, into my bed and take off his clothes and touch me make me touch him. I told him I was going to tell and he pushed me down the stairs and he said he'd hurt Sophie if I told anyone what he'd done with me. I never did.  
  
Most people would think that having a photographic memory is a good thing, sure sometimes it was. In school I knew everything but I would trade it in an instant if it meant that even just for a little while, I could forget."  
  
"Katy, this wasn't your fault," Sydney knelt on the floor at her feet, her hands cupped Kathryn's face. "None of this was your fault do you understand? Nothing was your fault."  
  
"I know that," she cried out. "I know it wasn't my fault but that doesn't make it okay." Sydney was surprised at her words. Kathryn vocally claimed that the abuse was not her fault, which of course it wasn't but in most cases when children were abused they blamed themselves for years developing a self-hatred which left untreated could ultimately destroy them. Those were the characteristics that had been drilled into her brain during her freshman child development class and now they were all too real. Kathryn appeared to be an exception. She exhibited very little victim blame; in fact it was exactly the opposite. She appeared to be in control. She knew exactly what she wanted and she was so old in knowledge and experience but so young in age. "After the baby, I swore that it would never happen again and it never did. If anyone ever tried-"  
  
"I know," Sydney wrapped her arms around Kathryn. "I know sweetie, I know. If I know you, you probably gave them a taste of their own medicine."  
  
"Yeah," she hiccuped wiping her eyes again. "When Arvin found out that I was pregnant. I told him that someone grabbed me and raped me when I was walking home from school. After the baby I took self-defense lessons. I got kicked out of a few more foster homes for making trouble if someone tried anything I defended myself. After that I never let anyone hurt me again."  
  
Sydney couldn't keep from crying any more and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I have something for you." Sydney pulled a small photograph out of her pocket but didn't show Kathryn. "After the hypnosis session, I went to see Arvin Sloane. You never told him the extent of what happened did you?"  
  
She shook her head, "I-I couldn't," she shrugged. "Every time I saw him I begged him to take me with him but he wouldn't, he couldn't. Obviously now I know why, he didn't want anyone to know about me, he wanted to hide me away until I was ready to live a lie-"  
  
"Katy, it was a boy, his name is Joshua."  
  
"What? A boy?" Her voice trembled as Sydney passed her the photograph of a blond haired blue eyed four year old boy. "This is him-he's. beautiful," she could barely speak there was so much that she wanted to say but couldn't find the words.  
  
Sydney began to explain. "After your hypnosis, Michael took you home and I went to see Sloane. I asked him about your baby and he didn't want to tell me, but I told him your hypnosis that you had been hurt I didn't go into details but eventually he told me." She fingered the photograph for a moment before continuing. "His name is Joshua Campbell. He lives with his adoptive parents in Canada, that's all I can tell you."  
  
Kathryn studied the picture memorizing every detail of her son. "He's amazing isn't he? Look at his hands, they're so small. Long fingers though, he'll be a piano player for sure."  
  
"For sure," Sydney agreed. "He looks just like you."  
  
"No," she shook her head. "He doesn't look anything like me, but thank you for saying it." She smiled slightly. "I think it makes it easier to leave him, knowing that he isn't anything like me." She wiped her cheeks, her expression turning serious. "My trust in Arvin Sloane leaves a lot to be desired at the moment, are you sure that this is my son?"  
  
"Absolutely," Sydney nodded. "Kathryn I wouldn't have shown this to you if I wasn't certain. I checked the adoption records and contacted the attorney who dealt with Joshua's adoption. Lily and Mark Campbell adopted him the day he was born. Your name doesn't appear anywhere on the adoption records, birth certificate or even hospital records. Sloane arranged everything so that there wouldn't a paper trail that could connect you to Joshua. I believe he foresaw Joshua's existence as a possible threat to his plans for your future but I also believe he really was trying to do what was best for you. For safety and for Joshua's."  
  
"I guess maybe in his own way, maybe he actually did care for me. He was good to me; he was there when I needed him. He handled my emancipation, paid my rent, bought me so many things but I can't forgive him for lying to me. For predetermining my entire future without even a second thought as to what I wanted, what my hopes and my dreams and my aspirations were. For never telling me that I had the family that I always wanted. I won't ever forgive him for not telling me that I had you, things would have been so different," she said wistfully. "I can't keep this can I?" she asked of the photograph.  
  
"No, I'm sorry you can't. It's too risky. I shouldn't have even showed you the photo but Joshua is your son and you deserve to know what he looks like, who he is, what he's become, how happy he is." Sydney wiped her eyes and pointed at the photograph. "He does look like you see, your nose and your lips and look- dimples."  
  
"He does," a slow smile traced her lips as she ran her fingers over the photograph. Blond haired blue-eyed Joshua did indeed resemble her. His nose and his lips but most of all it was those dimples that both she and Sydney shared. Dressed in a red striped shirt and blue jean overalls he was a beautiful child, he was everything Kathryn could have ever hoped for. Slowly she handed the photograph back to Sydney blinking away her tears. Finally she had all the information she needed. It was time to come to terms with her past, with the childhood she'd never had. She had a son and his name was Joshua. Most importantly her son was happy and healthy and beautiful and it was the closure that she had craved for so long.  
  
"His father was the son of one of my foster parents. He cornered me after school one day in the alley behind his house. I was twelve he was sixteen, seventeen I don't really remember. I was six months pregnant by the time anyone realized I was pregnant. I didn't tell anyone, I didn't know what to do, he said that he would kill me if I told anyone. Arvin found out the day I turned thirteen. He got me into a group home for pregnant teenagers in Brooklyn and after Joshua was born I just moved onto a new foster home and group homes until I was fifteen. I took summer classes and finished school early so when I was sixteen I was emancipated. After Joshua was born I swore that no one would ever hurt me in that way again and no one ever did."  
  
Sydney glanced at the photograph one last time before slipping it back into her pocket. "I have to go to work now, I have an early meeting but I'd like to talk more when I get home tonight. My father arranged for you to stay here with me instead of protective custody but in exchange you have to see a psychiatrist and talk with the directors today. They have questions that only you can answer about mom, Sloane, The Contessa, The safe house, your life, everything. But if you won't cooperate they will put you in protective custody."  
  
"I understand," she nodded solemnly. "I'll talk to them."  
  
"Eric, Agent Weiss will be there so whatever you need, just ask him he'll get it done." She put her arm around Kathryn's shoulders; "will you be okay?"  
  
"Yeah," she nodded. "Its just Joshua-I'm a little overwhelmed. Since he was born there's been this part of me that was missing and now it's coming together. I feel whole again."  
  
"I have to go now, but my dad will take you to the office on his way to the airport. I won't see you until tonight so Eric will take you home after the meeting and then just stay inside, keep the door locked and don't answer the phone okay?"  
  
"Sure," she nodded and hugged Sydney one last time. "Thank you."  
  
"Thank you," Sydney wiped her eyes as she exited the bedroom. She paused in the hallway and handed Joshua's photograph to her father who had been listening in the hallway. "Burn it," she whispered.  
  
Jack nodded pocketing the photograph. He understood the need to destroy the photograph and any evidence connecting Kathryn to Joshua. It was necessary to protect them both. If The Covenant ever found out about Joshua, there was no doubt they would use him to their advantage to extract any information they could from Kathryn. Once Sydney was out of sight he slowly unfolded the photograph his eyes scanning the tow headed youngster. He certainly was the spitting image of Kathryn, minus the hair and eyes. Looking closely it was evident that he was a descendant of Irina Derevko, even at such a young age the resemblance was clear. He could hear Kathryn crying softly, her voice trembling as she tried to regain control over her emotions and he waited until he could hear nothing before entering the room.  
  
"Are you ready to go?"  
  
She looked up at him. She'd been trying to tie her shoelaces, which without the use of her left arm had proven to be rather difficult and she'd resorted to using her teeth.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"What does it look like!"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous just ask for help." Jack sat down on the bed pulling her foot towards him.  
  
"I can do it myself," she jerked her foot back.  
  
"Stop being stubborn, I don't have time for this." Jack pulled her foot back and began tying her shoelaces. "Sydney explained to you what is happening today?"  
  
"Yes," she nodded. "You're going away?"  
  
"Switzerland," he nodded. "On business."  
  
"Whatever, tighter," she demanded as Jack pulled on the shoelaces.  
  
"Why aren't you in school?"  
  
"No money," she shrugged. "Besides, I like my job."  
  
"Waitressing is hardly an admirable or lucrative career choice-"  
  
"I'm a singer," she corrected, "and it pays the bills."  
  
"You're seventeen, If I'm not mistaken, a little young to be serving alcohol."  
  
"Get your facts straight. I just serve the food and sing till close five nights a week. People actually come to listen to me." She pulled her foot back and stood up. "Why don't you just give up, you won't win."  
  
Jack pursed his lips standing up and followed her out. She certainly was a handful.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Syd?" Will Tippin juggled several bags as he pulled his key out of the door. "Hey Syd I know you're here." He deposited his luggage on the floor near the stairs and walked over the to den hearing sounds from the TV. Hearing a noise behind him he turned around,  
  
"Syd-" he could say nothing more as solid wood connected with his skull. Falling to the floor he wavered a moment semi conscious, "Syd?" he mumbled seeing his friend before he succumbed to darkness. 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

A/N So this chapter is kind of a filler connecting time passage little bit, sorry but the action is coming!!! Thanks for all the great replies please keep them coming!!!!  
  
I have had several e-mail requests for people to be e-mailed when I update this story so if you would like to be included on that list just e-mail me at erincollicutt@rogers.com or post your e-mail address in a feedback post and I'll e-mail you when the story is updated.  
  
Redemption Chapter 16  
  
Using her hip to close the car door Sydney struggled with the take out bags, her purse and briefcase as she fumbled for her keys. Inserting the key into the door she found it was unlocked.  
  
"Hey Katy," Sydney called out as she entered the house kicking off her shoes. "Do you like Chinese? I didn't know what to get so I got a little of everything.Katy?" Sydney stopped cold the bags falling to the floor as she stood on the landing and saw a man passed out on the hallway floor. "Will?" She knelt down beside him checking for a pulse. Slowly he moved groaning slightly as he opened his eyes and saw Sydney.  
  
"You hit me," he accused scooting away from her.  
  
"What are you talking about Will? I just got home-" she knelt down and took his arm helping him get up.  
  
"No, I saw you-" Will staggered to his feet and gently touched his forehead feeling the dark sticky substance. "You hit me with a baseball bat. Did they double you?" he muttered confused.  
  
"Will, I just got-What are you doing here? How did you get in? Where's Kat?"  
  
"I came back early, I used my key," he ran a hand through his tousled hair stumbling slightly as he followed Sydney down the hall.  
  
"I'll look upstairs, check down here," Sydney took the stairs two at a time.  
  
"A cat? You got a cat? Syd I thought you were allergic to cats?" he blinked several times finally able to see clearly. Someone had hit him over the head with a baseball bat and Sydney got a cat, strange combination but he couldn't think clearly anyway, his head was throbbing.  
  
"Here kitty kitty," he called clucking his tongue. He could hear Sydney opening and closing doors upstairs and he checked the hall closet before moving to the kitchen and checking the cupboards. "Here kitty cat." He squatted down to check the cupboard under the kitchen sink. "Syd if you're that loud, you won't find the cat, you'll scare it away," he shouted up at her hearing the cupboard doors slam. He heard a noise from the cupboard under the sink and slowly opened the door. "Ha found you Kitty- Jesus Shit," Will fell back as he came face to face with Sydney's Kat who certainly wasn't a cat; she was a teenager with a baseball bat. "SYD!" He didn't say anything else just watched the girl grip the baseball bat. They hadn't doubled Sydney but someone had apparently come pretty close.  
  
Sydney nearly fell down the stairs as she followed the sound of Will's voice. She fell to her knees and peeked in the small cupboard. Kathryn had managed to tuck herself in the back between the water pipes. "It's okay Katy, you can come out," she held out her hand and Kathryn took it pulling herself out of the cupboard.  
  
Will stood back wiping the blood off his forehead with a paper towel. Sydney stood before him, her hands resting lightly on the younger girl's shoulders. "Katy this is my friend Will," Sydney introduced them. "Will this is Kathryn, my sister."  
  
"Your sister?" his mouth hung open.  
  
"Yes, her sister, trying to catch flies?"  
  
"Katy-" Sydney sighed giving her the silent shut up squeeze. "I brought dinner, it's in the hallway."  
  
"I'll take that as my silent cue," Kathryn turned to get the take-out but Will stopped her.  
  
"It's nice to meet you Sydney's sis-uh Kat," Will gave her a nervous smile. He reached for the bat; "how about I just take this off your hands."  
  
"If I'd wanted to hurt you, I would have." Kathryn handed him the bat and turned on her heel walking out of the room.  
  
"If she'd wanted to hurt me-" Will winced touching his forehead.  
  
"Will I'm really sorry about this, let me see," Sydney wet a dish towel and dabbed at the cut on his forehead.  
  
"Since when do you have a sister?"  
  
"It's a very long story," she sighed. "Stay for dinner?"  
  
"You owe me."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Will stabbed a chicken ball with his fork and chewed on it thoughtfully. "This is unreal you do realize this Sydney. She's like a little mini identical miniature sized..you."  
  
"It's complicated," she agreed nodding. She and Will sat at the counter eating dinner.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah fine," she gave him a smile. "I'm just worried about her. She's had a rough couple of days and today was really bad. She's not usually this quiet."  
  
"So your mom had another kid, and no one knew about her?"  
  
"No one other than Sloane, my mother and The Covenant, well that's all we know anyway."  
  
"So you have the same mom, is Jack her fath-"  
  
"No," Sydney cut him off. "Her father is a sonofabitch bastard who is hopefully spending eternity burning in hell at the moment." Sydney's blood began to boil just thinking about Alexander Khasinau.  
  
"Nice guy," he raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Will, I need your help."  
  
"Of course anything."  
  
"I have leave early tomorrow morning for a mission in London and my dad is in Switzerland, I need you to stay with Kathryn, for about a week or so, if there was someone else I would-"  
  
"It's fine, Syd don't worry about it." He smiled at her glancing over at Kathryn who sat on the couch watching TV while she ate her dinner. "She's a teenager, we'll be fine."  
  
"Will, it's not that simple-" Sydney twirled some noodles around her fork deciding the best way to broach the subject. "She had regression therapy yesterday. She'll have nightmares and my dad sedated her last night so I don't know what they'll be like without the sedation. You'll have to take her to the OP Center tomorrow for counseling and a meeting with the directors, Agent Weiss will sit in and there are FBI Agents watching the house but I have no idea what's going on with her. She's been through hell this past week and I don't know how or if she's dealing with it. She's strong and tough and smart but. she's human and I'm afraid she might break soon and I don't really trust anyone to stay with her, if anything happens Lindsey is going to put her in protective custody and we'll loose any control over her. I've already told her that I was leaving-"  
  
"Syd- we'll be fine, I promise." He gave her a reassuring smile that faded as his eyes connected with Kathryn's cold gaze. "Just fine. Looks like its just you and me kid!" he called over to her, her response wasn't exactly what he expected.  
  
"I don't need a babysitter."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Three Weeks Later  
  
Sydney smiled softly as she set her suitcase down and slipped off her shoes. She crouched down beside the couch where Will lay and pulled the blanket up around his shoulders and slowly slipped off his glasses.  
  
"Hey," Will opened his eyes he yawned stretching his arms. "What time is it?"  
  
"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you," she sat back on the coffee table. "It's a little after 3 AM."  
  
"You were supposed to be back almost two weeks ago, what happened are you alright?" Groggily he sat up slipping his glasses back on.  
  
"I know, I'm sorry, there were complications, we had to stay an extra few days. How is she?"  
  
"Sleeping," he shrugged. "She didn't say but I know she was really worried about you. Her nightmares were really bad, she'd wake up sick, screaming, crying, the things she said," he shuddered at the remembrance of her words. "The first week or so was really, really bad but they're better now, she's better now."  
  
Her eye caught sight of a child's toy on the floor and picked it up. "Weiss was here?" she asked holding up the yellow yo-yo.  
  
"Yeah," he nodded stretching again. "He's upstairs with her now, he's come almost every night since you left. She still pretends not to like him but she sleeps a lot better when he's around. Check this out," he passed her a sketchbook that had been wedged in the corner of the couch.  
  
"She drew these?" Sydney quickly flipped through the book. Her sister certainly was an artist. Some were nice scenery drawings, Will had obviously taken her to the beach and the track and various other places. Some were dark, faces haven been scratched out or the entire picture ruined. Some were comical, she laughed at one of Will sleeping a cigar hanging out of his mouth and another of Weiss with yo-yo's on every finger.  
  
"She's good, really good." He nodded.  
  
"Is there anything she isn't good at," Sydney laughed setting the book back down.  
  
"Actually yes, I'm afraid there was an incident in the kitchen."  
  
"What kind of incident?" she asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"A small oven fire.. Apparently she can't cook to save her life," Will laughed leaning back on the couch. "Weiss brought this for you," he handed her an envelope.  
  
Sydney burst out laughing as she opened the envelope and then grew quiet as she flipped through the papers.  
  
"Is it serious?" Will asked concern evident in his voice.  
  
Sydney shook her head and showed him the test results. "They're Kat's IQ results."  
  
"That's.high," he said surprised.  
  
"I knew she was smart but. my sister is a full fledged genius." She stood up tucking the papers back into the envelope. "I'm going to go crash, go back to sleep."  
  
"See you in the morning," he rolled over and fell back asleep.  
  
Sydney slowly walked up the stairs every muscle screamed out in agony. She entered Kathryn's room and sat on the side of the bed. Her body was covered in a slick sheen of sweat and all the blankets were twisted at her feet. She moved restlessly in her sleep, obviously in the midst of a gentle nightmare. It was bad enough to leave her unsettled. She took a damp cloth from the bedside table and gently wiped down her sister's face.  
  
"Syd?"  
  
She turned to face Eric bringing a finger to her lips and he lowered his voice. "You're back, how are you?"  
  
"Sore, you didn't tell her?"  
  
"You asked me not to. How is it?"  
  
Sydney raised her shirt showing Weiss the bandage on her abdomen, "clean shot, only a week in the hospital."  
  
"You were lucky."  
  
"I know," she nodded. "Will you help me change the bandage?"  
  
"Sure,"  
  
He stood and followed her out of the room neither of them seeing Kathryn wide awake clearly in shock after having seen her sisters bandage. She shut her eyes tightly trying to stop the tears that flowed. While she had been angry with Sydney for leaving her for so long with Will, her sister had been lying in a hospital bed recuperating after what could have been a near fatal gunshot wound. She swallowed hard feeling horrible as she turned over and shut her eyes, but she couldn't sleep. It wasn't until a half hour later that Eric returned to the chair beside her bed that she finally drifted off again once she heard the familiar drum of his slight snoring as he fell asleep.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Two Weeks Later  
  
Jack slammed his phone down and stood up storming out of his office, nearly knocking into his secretary who held his phone messages. "Not now," he growled walking past her. Several agents had to dodge his wrath as he strode towards Dixon's office. He opened the door letting it slam behind him. Dixon was just hanging up the phone.  
  
"What the hell are you thinking? You can't send her to Spain."  
  
"Jack this was not my decision to make. The order came from Devlin, they've already asked her and she agreed."  
  
"This is ridiculous, she's not a field agent, she's not even an agent for Christ's sake. This could get her killed."  
  
"Jack I know, alright. I couldn't change their minds, that's why you're going with her. Briefing's in ten."  
  
He turned on his heel walking out of Dixons office. He walked back to his office pausing in the doorway he turned around. "Kat in my office now!" he entered the office, the door slamming behind him. Several moments later Kathryn entered his office quietly closing the door behind her. She sat on the couch her arms crossed over her chest. She swallowed nervously while chewing her lower lip. Her eyes followed Jack as he furiously paced the carpeted floor. Finally he stopped and sat on the edge of his desk. His eyes cold as steel as he looked at her, like he was looking right through her. "What in the hell were you thinking when you said yes?" 


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Redemption   
Chapter 17

The silence was deafening. Kathryn absently scratched her arm while she tried to concentrate on the papers in front of her but it was impossible. Her cast had finally been removed that morning and she felt like she would scratch right through her skin. She glanced up at Jack his concentration never faltered as he shuffled papers making notes on a small pad of paper. Absently she clicked her pen surveying the plane replaying the past two days over and over in her mind.

__

She stared straight ahead. Jack waited for her answer perched on the edge of his desk. "What were you thinking?" he repeated.

"Well what was I supposed to say, I couldn't very well say no. They assured me that there was no danger at all and obviously if they were asking me they didn't have any other choice-" Kathryn was interrupted by a knock on the office door. Weiss poked his head in.

"Dixon and Kendall are ready for us in the briefing room."

"Thank you Mr. Weiss we'll be right there." Jack stood up and walked towards the door. "We will finish this conversation later," he whispered in her ear as he passed. Grudgingly she stood and followed him out.

"Alright people, this is a fairly simple mission but I don't want anything to go wrong." Kathryn took a seat next to Eric in the briefing room nervously glancing at the others in the room.. On the other side of her sat Marshall whom she'd met once or twice, across from her sat Jack, his clear distaste of the fact that she was even in the room was well hidden. To his left was Kendall a man she had instantly disliked the moment she'd met him. Dixon stood in the middle as he explained the mission. "For the last four months two of our agents have been undercover at Ryerson Communications in Spain." A photograph of a young man, with sandy colored hair and emerald eyes flashed across the computer screen. "This is Agent Jake MacGyver. He's been working closely with the owner of the Communications department Marco Ruggiero. Based on his Intel we've been able to recover plans for a new type of satellite system, which would make it impossible to trace certain numbers, which would be programmed into the computer system. He's undercover as JD Salenger; he and Ruggiero have become friends. Langley had an agent set up to go in as Salengers fiancée during an upcoming party at the Communications office. The problem came up when Agent MacGyver mistakenly said his fiancée was 18 instead of 28. That's where you come in Kathryn."

She met Jack's eyes momentarily before focusing her attention back on Dixon.

"Any of our other agents that would match the profile and look young enough are not fluent in Spanish and Russian like MacGyver said his fiancée was. Kathryn although you are not a CIA agent you are our only option." Kendall looked directly at her as he spoke.

"Kathryn you will be going in as Alexia Deveraux, Salenger's fiancée. Jack I want you to go in as her cover Samuel Deveraux, Alexia's father and a rich oil tycoon from the south-"

"How's your southern accent?" Kendall interrupted.

"Simply darling," she drawled and Eric hid a smile as she glared at Kendall, her obvious distaste for the man showing through.

"According to Salenger, Alexia is relatively quiet well educated fluent in Spanish and Russian, from South Carolina born and raised. You graduated Highschool last spring and are planning on marrying after you are finished college majoring in Spanish and Russian languages. You want to become a College Professor. Agent Weiss will be monitoring security from the outside and during the party our second agent Paul Collins will distract Ruggiero while the other three of you gain access to the restricted section of the operations Center, download the schematics and implant a virus into their system. Kathryn, you are simply along for the ride backing up MacGyver's cover, you are to stay with Jack or MacGyver at all times I do not want anything to go wrong."

"I understand," she nodded. 

"Surely there must be some other agent-" Jack sighed closing the missions folder.

"There isn't-" Kendall shook his head.

"She's not trained-"

"Her past performance clearly indicates that she can handle herself. I'm counting on you to keep an eye on her, will this be a problem?" Kendall's voice clearly indicated that there was no question about Kathryn's participation in the mission. She had agreed and that was the end of it. 

"No," he said reservedly. 

"Good, you're in and you're out, two days. Marshall go over Optec."

"Sure, how's everybody today," Marshall awkwardly standing up. "I've got some great stuff for you guys, most developed specifically for this mission. I've got something great for you Agent Sull- well you're not really an agent are you Ms. Bris- er you're not really a Bristow either, though you look so much like Syd one could get easily confused sorry Ms. Sulli-"

"Kat's fine," she interrupted him suppressing a laugh as he wiped his forehead nervously. 

"Well for starters there's this," he passed her what looked like a tube of lip balm. "I'm really proud of this one, looks like lip balm right, you know you'd put on when your lips are dry or chapped, a little boost of moisturizer keeps them soft and supple well all you do is twist the cap and tada, it's an auto injector for your insulin, small and easy to carry, you can keep that one, I'll show you how to refill it later."

"Cool, thanks," she nodded inspecting the tiny injector. 

He opened a jewelry case showing her the jewelry inside it. She held her breath never having seen anything so beautiful. 

"Pretty swank huh," Marshall grinned impressed with himself. "The earrings are your com link the necklace is a camera and then your dress has a ton of fiberglass beads in it, perfect for enhancing vocal communications, anything you say will come through crystal clear."

Kathryn sat back taking in everything around her. Jack was mad at her there was no denying that fact even though he kept it well hidden from the others. It was clear to everyone that he was not comfortable with her involvement in the CIA. She couldn't understand what the big deal was; after all there was no danger. Right?

Jack glanced up at Kathryn for the tenth time in last five minutes. "Must you do that?" he pointed at her pen painfully aware that she was irritating him on purpose.

"Sorry," she set it down on the seat beside her. "I can't believe you're still mad at me, what was I supposed to tell them?" 

"You have no idea how serious this is." Jack set aside the papers and leaned forwards in his seat. "Working with the CIA is not something you just decide to do when you wake up one morning. Sydney and I are trying to keep you out of danger, not put you right in the middle of it-"

"You don't care about me so why bother pretending," she stood up her arms crossed over her chest defensively. "You don't even care about anyone not even your own daughter. The only reason you're keeping me around is because you still think I know what The Contessa is-"

"Do not presume to tell me who I do and do not care about, it is of no concern of yours-"

"Don't pull that crap with me, I can see right through you-"

Weiss cleared his throat and stood up unable to believe that Kathryn was egging Jack on. She had no fear of him, anyone who stood up to Jack Bristow was usually left with a broken bone or two; she had guts. She knew he wouldn't touch her so either she was trying to get something out of him or just trying to piss him off. "I'll just go…… check on the flight status," he mumbled excusing himself deciding it would be better to steer clear of this fight, not that either of them even noticed his departure.

"And what is that Miss. Sullivan, you don't know anything about me."

"I know that you're a liar, you lied to Sydney most of her life. You're completely devoid of capacity for any human emotion-"

"And look at who I am talking to," Jack stood matching her stance. "Turning yourself on and off like a light switch when you feel like it, is not an appropriate way to handle yourself."

"It's worked for the past seventeen years, not that I care what you think. I've been taking care of myself since I was five years old so don't try to act like some kind of a father to me. You're not my father and I don't need one. I had a father and now he's dead and I've been doing just fine without one."

"I am not trying to-"

"When Danny died, you couldn't even show up at his funeral for your own daughters sake. You're a horrible father, you lied to her, her whole life-"

"Do not try to tell me what kind of a father I am. You're just a child you don't know anything about me or the real world or my relationship with my daughter."

"She's your daughter it doesn't get easier than that. Just forget it," she muttered shaking her head and she sat down, already tired of the cat and mouse game. Jack had barely even raised his voice. "You're just like her."

"Just like who?" His response was short, clipped. He appeared to be only mildly interested but inside she knew he was dying to know.

She didn't answer at first debating on whether or not she would satisfy his curiosity; she decided to. "Just like Irina. You're a liar just like her." She expected silence but found none.

"Do not compare me to that woman-" She almost thought she detected hatred in his voice, almost but not quite, she'd hit a nerve.

"Why not," she shrugged pretending not to care. "It's true. Not even three weeks ago I came to you and asked you if Sydney was okay. You looked me straight in the eye and you lied. You said she was fine. She wasn't fine. She was lying in the hospital with a bullet in her stomach!"

"That was Sydney's decision to make. She didn't want you to worry, you were already dealing with enough-"

"You still lied to me," she said calmly. "My entire life has been one big lie and I would appreciate it if you would respect that the next time I ask you a question. I want the truth; I don't care what the costs may be. I want the truth!"

"Then I would appreciate it if you would refrain from speaking of things you know nothing about. Irina Derevko is a woman that I would be happy if you never saw nor spoke of again. She is manipulative, unpredictable and dangerous and the fact that she is your mother will not change a thing. After this mission is finished, if I ever hear of you agreeing to do anything for the CIA without speaking with Sydney or I first, I will put you in protective custody myself. While we can only hope that Covenant has decided that you do not know anything about The Contessa, we can't guarantee that and I promised my daughter that I would do everything I could to keep you out of harms way. I intend to keep that promise to her."

"You don't hate her do you." 

Kathryn's question hung in the air unanswered. 

"If you're finished, we land in 30 minutes, I want you to get ready and then get Agent Weiss so we can go over the plan again."

"But we've gone over it ten times already-"

"And we'll go over it another ten times until I am satisfied. Am I clear?"

She was silent for a moment before standing and grabbing her knapsack, "as glass." She walked past him stepping inside the planes small restroom. She changed into the skirt and blouse she'd been given and combed her hair into a braid as Sydney had instructed. She pinned it up and fitted the red wig over her brunette locks. The reflection in the mirror was not her own. It was Alexia Deveraux who looked back at her. Long fiery red hair, red eyebrows, lightened eyelashes, violet eye shadow and soft pink lip-gloss. It was an odd feeling not looking like yourself. She began to understand Sydney's words, when they'd talked about Sydney going on missions several nights before when neither of them could sleep. She hadn't told Kathryn specifics but told her what it felt like. Mission after mission, alias after alias, disguise after disguise blending together until suddenly you're not even sure who you are anymore. If your true identity is just another set of false papers; just another lie. 

It had been six weeks and three days since her entire life changed. The time had passed by so quickly full of therapy sessions, meetings with Kendall and Lindsey and Eric the only person who seemed to be on her side. He never talked to her about anything that was said in those meetings. The details that he knew surrounding her upbringing sometimes even scared her to know that he knew that much. He'd made it clear to her; nothing that was said in those meetings would ever pass his lips without permission. Stuffing her clothes into the bag she took one last look in the mirror. "Hello Alexia Deveraux." 

Jack and Eric were already going over the mission specs when she returned and for the first time she noticed that Jack looked 15 years younger; his hair had been darkened removing most of the aging gray. She sat next to him on the couch listening to their discussion. 

"Oh almost forgot," Eric handed Kathryn and Jack each a small container. 

Jack opened his and expertly popped the colored contacts into his eyes. He turned to Kathryn his eyes having changed from a hazel brown to a brilliant shade of blue. "Ever worn contacts?"

She shook her head.

"Tilt your head back." 

Kathryn followed his instructions and after a few tries he had placed the contacts into her eyes. Eric handed her a mirror; her eyes were now the same shade of blue as Jacks. "I don't even look like me anymore," she whispered.

"Good, that's exactly what we want," Jacks response surprised her. "We don't want anyone to be able to connect Alexia Deveraux to Kathryn Sullivan. It seems unlikely that The Covenant has any connection to this but we can't be too careful."

"They're not after me anymore."

"We don't know that." Jack closed the files and turned to Kathryn. "Tell me about Alexia Deveraux." 

Kathryn sighed and swallowed hard. She took a sip of juice and began going over her cover story for the eleventh time that afternoon.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

A/N So yeah this chapter is shorter but it was either make this one short and the other long or have a ridiculously long chapter and have you guys have to wait longer so I opted for the shorter Chapter 18. Wow almost at 20 hard to believe. Feedback is craved, as I'm sure you all know please and thanks! Lol. I used Papa Bear for Jack's callsign/codename cause I'm having a brain shortage at the moment and I could not come up with anything, hence the fact that Kathryn still is 'Shiner. But if anyone knows Jacks let me know! Lol so anyways yeah feedback please lol I'm begging of you, it's been slower lately so I don't know if people are still reading so just hit that little feedback button and let me know if you're still reading.  
  
Redemption Chapter Eighteen  
  
The champagne glasses clinked nosily, the string band played on, the chatter surrounded him and the dance floor was full but Jake MacGyver or rather JD Salenger didn't hear any of it. He glanced at his watch, a quarter past eight. They were late.  
  
Ruggiero stood across the floor and raised his glass when Salenger's gaze stopped on him. JD gave him a smile tipping his glass as well. Inwardly Jake MacGyver cringed; the guy was slime.  
  
"Relax Mac," Paul Collins handed him a glass of champagne. "You're making me nervous," he added his thick Russian accent never faltering.  
  
"They're late."  
  
"They'll be here," he said confidently.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Kathryn struggled with the buckles on her shoes. Her hands trembled not obeying her thoughts as she tried to do up the high-heeled sandals.  
  
"Kathryn are you ready?" Jack knocked on her door. "We're late."  
  
"Almost," she said as she struggled with the shoes. "Damn shoes," she muttered finally succeeding in fastening the left shoe; new shoes the buckles were always tough. She stood her hands shaking and silently she willed them to stop. Standing in front of the mirror she surveyed herself, everything was perfect. Well as perfect as perfect could get when you don't recognize the reflection looking back at you. She'd never worn anything so exquisite before. The dress, one could not quite call it blue nor purple but a mixture in-between, was a fitted bodice a full skirt falling to the floor with layers of fabric underneath puffing out around her. The bodice was covered in tiny beads crisscrossing into a lattice effect. It had taken her two hours to curl the wig and long ringlets now fell halfway down her back with the front pieces pinned up by a diamond studded clip. The make up was flawless her lips were a deep red and her eyes were complemented by a nice violet shadow.  
  
She opened the door and stepped into the small sitting room. Samuel Deveraux, his daughter Alexia and their driver William (Eric) were occupying the penthouse suite for the night in Valencia's grandest hotel. Grand was the appropriate word; Kathryn was afraid to touch anything for fear it would break. Neither man said a word as she stepped out. "What do I look that bad?" she joked taking her purse from the side table.  
  
Jack stood and slipped his coat on. He held the door open; "we're late."  
  
Kathryn was surprised when she felt Eric behind her. He held out her coat and she slipped her arms in. "If he's not going to say it than I will," he said quietly in her ear but loud enough for Jack to hear. "You look damn pretty tonight."  
  
A smile traced her lips, "thanks," was all she said. She breezed by Jack then paused speaking in a deep Southern accent. "The first thing you need to learn, 'Daddy' is that teenage girls love to make an entrance."  
  
Weiss nearly snorted trying not to laugh and Jack was speechless as they followed her to the elevator.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Kathryn thanked the waiter who took her coat and Jack gave their names to the guard who stood at the door. He held out his arm to Kathryn and she took it as they walked to the top of the stairs.  
  
"Nervous?" he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Like I'm going to be sick," she said through clenched teeth a smile plastered on her face.  
  
"It'll pass," he patted her arm. "Just stick to being Alexia and you'll be fine. Turn your comm link on." She fiddled with her earring momentarily.  
  
"Retriever, Homebase this is Papa Bear," Jack said softly. "We're in."  
  
"Shiner say something so I can test out your comm link." Weiss' voice came through her ears and she winced a little, it was loud.  
  
"I thought I told you not to call me that."  
  
"I like it," he laughed knowing it irritated her. "Yeah Shiner's good."  
  
"You're on," Jack whispered in her ear. He squeezed her arm a little tighter as they came to stand at the top of the stairs leading down to the ballroom. Kathryn held her breath as they both searched the crowd below for JD Salenger and his partner Paul Collins.  
  
JD spotted Ruggiero walking towards him. "Senor Ruggiero," he smiled at him.  
  
"I do believe your fiancée has arrived Senor Salenger," his Spanish accent thick.  
  
He nodded towards the stairs and slowly JD turned to face the stairs taking a few steps forwards. He looked up and saw Alexia, he was positive it was her, her long red hair spilling around her shoulders and she looked directly at him. Damn she is young. He moved towards the bottom of the stairs and waited until Alexia and her father reached the bottom. She held out her hands to him and he took them drawing her to him he kissed her cheek and hugged her tight. "Alexia Deveraux I presume, what are you nineteen?" he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Close," she whispered back.  
  
"What's close?"  
  
"Seventeen."  
  
"You're not CIA," he said slowly. She heard the concern in his voice.  
  
"No, I'm saving your ass."  
  
"Smooth Kat, smooth," Weiss' laughter rang in her ear and she forced a smile. This was going to be a long and difficult night and her feet were aching already. Whoever invented high-heeled shoes ought to be shot.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
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	19. Chapter Nineteen

A/N: To avoid any confusion I'll start off by telling you that names in this chapter are interchangeable. Sometimes their real name/alias or code name is used so here's a quick rundown. Kathryn is also Alexia and Shiner. Jack is Sam and Papa Bear. Jake MacGyver is JD Salenger (he's referred to mostly as Salenger) and Cobalt. Ruggiero is the bad guy and Paul Collins is Jake's partner. Q's concerns just ask.  
  
This Chapter is dedicated to Anna Sun!!!  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter 19  
  
JD Salenger stood close to his fiancée. Her fathers words echoed in his mind, one of us stays with her at all times. He knew she wasn't an agent, she was good but she wasn't an agent. His Russian partner Paul Collins was talking to her father and he caught his eye. Paul walked towards them and intercepted his fiancée away from Ruggiero with the promise of a dance. The two were soon lost in a slew of Russian that Salenger couldn't keep up with. He adjusted the tie clip Alexia had given him as a gift turning the comm links on and discreetly placed the earpiece in his ear. He grabbed two glasses of champagne and walked over to Samuel handing him one. "This is Cobalt checking in."  
  
"Coming through loud and clear Cobalt," Eric tapped the keys of his laptop adjusting Salenger's audio level.  
  
He reached over shaking Jack's hand, "How are you Sam? How's the vacation?"  
  
"Tired," he smiled. "That daughter of mine does love to shop, other than that can't complain."  
  
"She's not CIA?" he confirmed lowering his voice to a whisper.  
  
"No. We can't afford for anything to go wrong. She's smart but she's not trained."  
  
The two watched Alexia and Paul circle the floor speaking with various people.  
  
"She's good," he commented sipped his champagne.  
  
Jack said nothing; she was good, never breaking character, always enchanting and charming. Her accent was perfect one would think she'd lived in South Carolina her entire life and not New York. "Collins will distract Ruggiero, the two of you have a fight and I will follow you out. Security will be down for eight minutes."  
  
"It'll take two to get to the lab, two levels down on the left."  
  
"Good, now go dance with your fiancée." Jack took his glass from him and Salenger crossed the room only to be headed off by Ruggiero. When Salenger reached the two Ruggiero was in the process of trying to convince Alexia to play the harp for the guests. Silently Salenger yelled at himself, the asshole remembered what he'd said when he was drunk. It had been Jake MacGyver's first taste of Spanish liquor and his last. That was when the slip up about Alexia's age had happened. Evidently he'd slipped up on her musical talents as well. In his ear all he could hear was cursing and everyone telling Alexia to stay calm. She was more than calm; her accent never faltered as she talked herself out of it.  
  
"I'm afraid Senor Ruggiero that I am out of practice on the harp, Daddy and I have been travelling so much lately I haven't an ounce of time for playing." Ruggiero looked crestfallen, his lower lip popping out slightly reminding her of a five-year-old who was told he couldn't have a cookie before bed. "Perhaps we can compromise," she said sweetly. "Do you enjoy Mozart on the violin?"  
  
"My favorite," his smile was smug as he led Alexia over to the string quartet. She could feel everyone's eyes on her back as she turned facing the wall and adjusted the violin. "To my private listeners unless you plan on being deaf in the next 5 seconds I suggest you turn my volume down." Marshall reacted quickly and adjusted her volume. The fiberglass beads on Alexia's dress would have reflected the sounds of the violin giving everyone with a comm link a permanent headache for a week. She turned to face the crowd curtsied flashing a sweet smile at Ruggiero and raised the bow. On the outside she appeared calm and collected, performing in front of an audience was something Alexia did often. Kathryn on the other hand hadn't picked up a violin in over three years. She gritted her teeth almost anticipating a screech but there was none and slowly she relaxed as she played Mozarts Violin Concerto No. 5.  
  
Jack watched from a distance as her hands moved skillfully over the strings. Her audience nodded appreciatively and Weiss whistled in his ear, Sydney's praiseful comments came through as well. Kathryn certainly was full of surprises tonight.  
  
Salenger waited until she had curtsied, and thanked her audience before intercepting Alexia away from Ruggiero. He kissed her cheek and pulled her into his arms, slowly dancing over near the entryway. From across the room Paul took his position and Jack wandered near the door taking a refill on his champagne.  
  
"Almost time," Alexia murmured in his ear.  
  
"Good Luck," Sydney's reassuring voice rang in her ear before being Weiss took over.  
  
"Security is down in. 5.4.."  
  
"Make it real," he pulled away from Alexia.  
  
"2"  
  
"1. Go!"  
  
Smack.  
  
Stunned JD Salenger rubbed his jaw lightly silently cursing in pain. She stepped away from him, her deep blue eyes filling with tears, her hand shaking from the sheer force of slapping his face. Her chin trembled, "how could you," she cried tearfully oblivious to the curious onlookers. Had it been a real fight he would have been groveling at her feet begging for forgiveness at the sheer sight of the tears splashing down her cheeks. She turned running out of the room, "Lexie wait, I can explain" he called running after her.  
  
Jack took off after the two pretending to be furious and Collins prevented Ruggiero from following. By the time Jack reached the two they were at the bottom of the stairs heading to the restricted area. He conferred with Weiss regarding security while Salenger punched the security code and they entered the restricted stairwell. Kathryn slipped off her high-heeled shoes feeling instant relief and slung the straps around her wrists she hiked up her skirts and followed the two men down the cement stairs doing her best not to step on the material otherwise she would take all three of them out.  
  
The three of them ran at full speed down the long corridors.  
  
"Okay team, you're clear up ahead, but there are three guards coming down the east hallway," Weiss zoomed in on the security cameras. "I've looped their system so all they're seeing is empty hallways, ETA 45 seconds."  
  
Jack pulled off his watch attaching it to the labs secured entrance. "Decoders in place," his finger hovered above the handle as the decoder cracked the code and the three entered the lab with only seconds to spare. Jack tossed Salenger the computer disk with the encrypted virus, "upload it in the 2nd server." Jack attached his cell phone to the second computers tower and entered the mainframe uploading the information and satellite specs via wireless modem to the Op Center back in LA. Kathryn stood near the door listening for any activity in the hallway.  
  
"I can't get in." Salenger suddenly pulled his hands off the keyboard. "I can't bypass the secure server without setting off the alarm, I didn't know about this."  
  
"Marshall did you get that?" Jack leaned over Salengers shoulder scanning the screen.  
  
"Got it," Marshall logged into his computer connecting to the one Salenger was logged in on. "Oh Boy, you can't do anything, the only way to get the virus in without triggering the alarm is to manually bypass the server and type the coding in, that will take at least three minutes."  
  
"Abort the mission, Jack I want you out of there, now."  
  
"I know the code," Kathryn stood beside the chair looking up at Jack. "I helped Marshall with it, I wrote the code down, I know the code."  
  
"Jack your order is to abort." Kendall took control of the microphone repeating his order. "Abort now, I repeat abort!"  
  
Jack turned to her knowing how many months of work had been at stake by this operation. "I need to know you can do this." His voice was calm and steady hiding any uncertainty he felt about putting her in this situation.  
  
"I can do this," her voice was confident and he believed her.  
  
"Move," Jack pulled out the chair and Salenger got off it. Kathryn took her place at the keyboard, handed Salenger her shoes and began typing the keys rapidly.  
  
"She said she can do it." Jack told Kendall.  
  
"Shiner, your order was to abort," Kendall said angrily. "I want you out of there now!"  
  
"It's too late now," she swallowed hard. "I'm in. Marshall, how do I get past the alarm into the secure server?"  
  
Frustrated Kendall threw his headset to Vaughn "tell her."  
  
Marshall was frozen momentarily but snapped into action when Kathryn yelled at him  
  
She typed furiously following Marshall's directions. "Getting past the alarm, I'm in the 2nd server." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she began to type the lengthy virus encrypted code that Marshall had created based solely on her memory.  
  
Salenger watched her open-mouthed as she pounded on the keyboard a look of determination on her face; her eyes shut tightly mouthing everything that she typed.  
  
Jack checked his watched, the security cameras would return in less than two minutes. "Hurry," he said disabling the remote modem now that the specs had been uploaded into CIA hands.  
  
"I'm going as fast as I can," she said through gritted teeth. She was almost done uploading the virus onto the communications server that would enable the CIA to track every keystroke made by Ruggiero on the secure server. If she didn't finish the code the CIA efforts for the past four months would be lost.  
  
"Come on, come on, come on." Salenger checked his watch again, they were almost out of time; he tapped his thigh nervously.  
  
"Security Systems will be back up in one minute, you're going to have to haul ass to get out of there," Eric scanned the different cameras, "three guards on the west hallway first floor blocking your way out, you're going to have find a different way around them.  
  
"I know a way, hope you're not afraid of heights," he said to Alexia. She ignored him as she concentrated on typing the last few lines of text.  
  
"It's done." Kathryn opened her eyes pulling away from the computer.  
  
"Copy that Shiner, the code is working fine. Good work, and come home safe," Sydney smiled broadly releasing Vaughn's hand and he flexed his fingers allowing the blood flow to return to his fingertips.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Jack held the door open and the three stepped back into the hall heading towards the stairwell. They took the stairs back up to the main floor.  
  
"Security feed is back on in twenty seconds," Weiss warned. "Those guards are still there you'll have to get around them."  
  
Salenger motioned them to follow him. The guards stood blocking their way to the party and silently he led them into a large room adjacent to the ballroom where the party was taking place. They exited through the french doors onto the balcony. "Like I said, hope you're not afraid of heights," he pointed at the narrow ledge connecting the balcony they were on to one from the party.  
  
"Go," Jack nodded and Salenger slung his leg over the railing, Kathryn watched as he shimmied across and looked to make sure there wasn't anyone near the balcony before swinging his legs over. "Nice and easy," Jack instructed as he helped Kathryn slide over the railing. She flattened herself against the wall and slowly began inching over to the other balcony. It wasn't easy as her dress kept getting in the way. Reaching the balcony she began to turn to climb over but her foot caught the edge of her dress and she slipped. A small cry erupted from the back of her throat and a strong arm grabbed her right arm saving her from falling to the ground as she slammed into the brick wall.  
  
"Come on," Salenger groaned as he tried to pull her back up. Jack swung his legs over the balcony but he would be of no use to them. He looked down at Kathryn, she swung wildly and was kicking her legs trying desperately to gain some footing and pull herself back up. She was reaching her left hand up trying to grab hold of something but there was nothing she could do.  
  
"Grab her other hand," Jack said suddenly realizing that Salenger was holding her right arm. The arm the cast had come off of earlier that day.  
  
"What?" Salenger asked breathing deeply as he tried to get a good grip on her.  
  
"Grab her left hand let go of her right."  
  
"Dad what's going on?" Sydney asked frantically. "What is your status?"  
  
"She fell," his response crackled through the headset and Sydney's heart sank. "Is she alright?"  
  
"Grab her other hand now and let go of her arm or you will break it," Jack repeated and he edged closer to the ledge but still there was nothing he could do. "Do it now!"  
  
"Bloody hell, stop kicking," Salenger swore and took one hand off her arm. He reached for her other hand and after several unsuccessful attempts finally managed to grab her left hand. Bracing his foot against the metal bars he released his hold on her right arm and gripped her left hand with both his hands. Slowly he pulled her up and over the balcony rail. "Are you alright?" he asked breathlessly glancing through the closed door to make sure no one had seen them come onto the balcony.  
  
"Dad, is she okay?" Sydney repeated several times not having received an answer.  
  
Jack crossed over to the balcony. "She's fine," he told Sydney after ensuring that Kathryn was unhurt.  
  
Kathryn could only nod as she gasped for air, "I thought I was going to fall," she said breathlessly, her voice choking as she fought for air. "My shoes-" she looked over the edge of the balcony.  
  
"Ruggiero's just spotted you on the balcony, he's coming over to you," Collins whispered urgently.  
  
"I'll try to stall him," Jack opened the french doors and slipped inside.  
  
"Just relax and breathe, we'll stay out here as long as possible," Salenger leaned back against the railing and cupped the back of her head drawing her to him. She brought her hands up to his shoulders slipping them around his neck and rested her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat as she tried to steady her breathing. To the outside viewer they looked like a happy couple in love sharing a private moment together and he played on it. He brought his hands up to her bare shoulders rubbing them slightly and then trailing them down her sides and encircling her waist. She shuddered slightly and he held her tighter one arm around her waist and the other cupping her head. "You're fine now, I wouldn't have let you fall," he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head lightly. "Just breath, he's coming."  
  
At the sound of Ruggiero's voice Kathryn plastered a smile on her face and turned to face him still struggling to control her erratic breathing.  
  
"Senorita Deveraux I've been looking for you the Russian ambassador- Are you alright Senorita? You look pale?"  
  
"Si Senor," she smiled. "Just a little tired, I'm afraid the flight is catching up with me now."  
  
"And before? Is everything alright?" he looked to Salenger for an explanation regarding the lovers spat in the ballroom.  
  
"Yes, fine thank you. Just a misunderstanding," he slipped his hands around her waist and gently kissed her neck.  
  
"What was that about the Russian ambassador?" she asked switching the subject.  
  
"Ah he wishes to continue your conversation regarding the upcoming UN convention in Moscow."  
  
"Well then we must not keep the ambassador waiting, I too am eager to continue our discussion." She took Ruggiero's arm and then turned back to JD. "Coming?" she asked.  
  
"Right behind you." He followed Alexia closely grabbing a glass of champagne on the way and downing it quickly. She intrigued him regaining her composure so quickly. Who would have thought that this girl standing before him speaking in rapid Russian with the Russian ambassador about politics among other things, had only moments before been hanging precariously several stories up from the ground. After several minutes he managed to steal her away and danced a few dances before her father cut in.  
  
"Are you alright Alexia?" he asked.  
  
"Of course Daddy," she smiled trying not to step on his feet; her dancing skills left a lot to be desired.  
  
"We'll leave soon."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"How's your arm?" he asked lowering his voice.  
  
"It's fine, he didn't break it."  
  
"Good," the song came to an end and Jack pulled away from her. "We'll leave in about twenty minutes."  
  
Jack was true to his word. Twenty minutes later after sharing a tearful goodbye with her fiancée exhausted and sore Alexia Deveraux slowly ascended the ballroom steps her arm tucked securely in her fathers. Many of the guests were starting to wain and other couples departed as well. She turned giving a small nod to Salenger who stood at the bottom of the stairs in the very spot where he'd first seen her. He couldn't help but smile at her, what a night. She returned his smile and then continued up the stairs, thankful that her dress had been hemmed two inches too long, for if one looked closely enough they would she wasn't wearing any shoes. For Alexia Deveraux it would have been a catastrophe, but for Kathryn Sullivan--it suited her just fine  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Coming up!!! Chapter 20 will be a little bit of a filler tying up loose ends but stay tuned for Chapter 21 Someone rather unexpected makes a surprise appearance. 


	20. Chapter Twenty

A/N: If I screwed up the Patron Saint thing please forgive me and correct me. I just looked on a website and I'm not sure if I used the terms correctly. Please give feedback.  
  
Redemption   
  
Chapter 20  
  
It was something Jack couldn't even admit to himself. Something that reminded him so much of her that he couldn't stop watching her. He liked watching Kathryn sleep. She reminded him of Irina. He hadn't realized how much until he'd watched her at the party the night before. The way she held her head, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed, the way she danced and even the way she held her glass. Most of all, it was her smile. It all came down to her smile. The way it started ever so slightly at first, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly until she couldn't contain it and her lips parted breaking out into a broad smile; a mirror image of her mother.   
  
It seemed nearly impossible that a woman who'd raised her for only five years of her young life had, had such an affect on her. It seemed to him that the nature side was beginning to have more of a pull than the nurture side in the endless nature vs. nurture debate that sociologists were always arguing about. He looked over at her again a small smile passing his lips as he listened to her murmur about ice cubes and cookies. As a child Sydney had often talked in her sleep, so had Laura on a rare occasion.  
  
She'd been reading, her thoughts lost in one of Sydney's books until she began to droop, her eyes fluttering closed and her head resting on Weiss' shoulder; he'd fallen asleep the moment the plane had taken off. Jack liked watching her sleep. She reminded him of his ex-wife. She reminded him of Laura, the Laura he missed. But Laura Bristow was dead; she had been for over twenty years now. All that was left of her was Irina. A woman who'd ruined every life she came into contact with. Both her daughters were a testament to that but more so Kathryn. Sydney at least had her father growing up. She'd always been safe and secure but Kathryn had no one. If Irina hadn't left her twelve years before than Kathryn would never have had to endure the pain and suffering she had in her short life. It amazed him that in some instances she slept almost peaceful and other times she lived in terror.   
  
Her scream had startled them both. Jack and Weiss were in the hotel living room going over the mission reports after the party. Their guns drawn they raced into Kathryn's room. She sat up in bed, her hair matted to her face screaming and crying unable to breathe. Her screams came out marred by sobs as she gasped for breath.   
  
"Don't turn on the light, it scares her," Weiss warned seeing Jack reach for the light switch. Weiss turned on the small lamp beside her bed taking control. Jack could only stand back and watch as Weiss sat on the edge of her bed taking her in his arms rocking her back and forth. "It's alright, you're fine," he repeated over and over. "It was just a dream, I'm here." It was a bad one, he could tell right off, he'd never seen her like this before; she was absolutely terrified. She fought him at first pounding and pushing against his chest until she realized who he was and where she was. He held her close rubbing her back as he tried to calm her and slowly she did. Her whimpers grew quiet and her breathing slowed. Kathryn was crying, her words cut off by sobs and all Jack could make out was "his hands, his hands, all over me."   
  
He backed out of the room slowly feeling a tightening in the pit of his stomach. Opening the mini bar he poured himself a scotch and sat down trying to block out the sounds of her crying, her whimpers, and gasps for air.   
  
It was over an hour before Weiss returned to the small room. "She's asleep now," was all he said and Jack realized that he'd had a lot of practice saying those words.  
  
He liked watching her sleep. She reminded him of her, of Laura. That and it was the only time she wasn't being an eternal thorn in his side. Well that wasn't entirely true, he thought with a smile. She had guts and she was strong, independent, and stubborn but she had dignity. She was exactly like Sydney and that almost made him a little nervous.   
  
She sighed restlessly in her sleep shifting her position trying to get more comfortable but her efforts were futile and she awoke. Sliding out from under Weiss' arm she picked up the fallen book.   
  
"We'll be landing soon," Jack looked up from the paperwork seeing that she was awake.   
  
"I'll go change," she took her bag and closed the door behind her. Carefully she took out the contacts rubbing her sore eyes. She hesitated for a moment before taking off the long red wig. It had been fun pretending to be someone else. The thrill, the adrenaline, it had all been exciting to be Alexia. But that's exactly what it was, pretend. The make up came off easily and finally she began to see herself in the mirror's reflection. She scrubbed at the remnants of the lipstick and paused slightly her finger on her lips remembering the feel of his lips on hers.  
  
"Alexia sweetheart we have to go."  
  
"Just another minute Daddy please, he promised he'd be here." Alexia took off her sunglasses squinting in the late morning sun.  
  
"I can't imagine what is keeping your fiancée," Senor Ruggiero took her arm leading her towards the plane.   
  
"It was nice of you to come see us off, and it was a wonderful party, thank you for inviting us Senor." She took his hands smiling and then leaned over and kissed his cheek.  
  
"It was my pleasure Senorita. Senor Salenger certainly is a lucky man."   
  
"Thank you," she smiled.   
  
"Alexia, we have to go," Jack put his hands on her shoulders guiding her towards the plane. "You can call him once we are in the air."  
  
She nodded solemnly and followed him up the steps. Reaching the top she heard someone call her name. Turning she couldn't help but smile. "You're late," she chided as JD ran up the steps.  
  
"I'm sorry Lexie," he hugged her. "Will I see you again?" he whispered in her ear.   
  
"Only if I have to save your ass again," She laughed quietly.   
  
"You know who I am but who are you?"   
  
"Why whatever do you mean Mr. Salenger?" she raised an eyebrow a small smile spreading across her lips clearly enjoying the frustration across his face. "My name is Alexia Deveraux, I'm your fiancée."  
  
"Well then I suppose I should kiss my fiancée good bye."  
  
He surprised her leaning down and gently covering her lips with his. His hands found their way to her waist and hers to his shoulders. She stood on her tiptoes her hand scraping across his unshaven cheek. Slowly he pulled away leaving her a little dazed, embarrassment creeping up her cheeks. He kissed her cheek. "Good bye Lexie. Thanks for saving my ass," he added with a grin.  
  
She'd never been kissed before. She'd never, ever been truly kissed. A small smile played on her lips as she remembered the moment. Feeling foolish she finished wiping the remnants of lipstick and slid everything into her bag. Leaving the bathroom she sat on her knees across from Jack at the table.  
  
"Let me see your arm," he said setting the folder aside. She held out her right hand on the table and he pulled up her sleeve. It was swollen and badly bruised, Salengers handprints could clearly be seen. She winced as he slowly bent her wrist and elbow. "It's not broken, a bad sprain though. It'll be fine in a week or two."  
  
"I thought I was going to fall," she said softly gently rubbing her injured arm.  
  
"Pretty close, but he wouldn't have let you fall."  
  
"When will we land?"  
  
Jack checked his watch, "about twenty minutes."  
  
"Great I'm starved," she began drawing imaginary circles on the table with her fingers and Jack turned back to his paperwork.  
  
"You didn't eat breakfast," he commented making notes on his legal pad.   
  
"No I couldn't," she shook her head. "I'm allergic to strawberries, I get hives."   
  
"You should have said something, I could have ordered you something different. You need to eat regularly if you don't you blood sugar-"  
  
"Thanks Dr. Jack" she sighed. "I know my disease pretty well, I don't need you watching everything I eat."  
  
"Kathryn, last night, when you were sleeping-"  
  
"I'm sorry I disturbed you," she looked away, her finger continuing to trace designs on the table.  
  
"It's not that. Sydney told me you weren't having nightmares anymore."  
  
"Oh... I'm not," she lied. "It was just....new bed."  
  
She was lying, he knew that. Her eye twitched when she lied. "Of course," he nodded.   
  
"Jack there's something I never told you..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I never thanked you. That night when you found me at the safehouse..." This wasn't easy, she sighed not sure what to say. "I asked you to stay with me and you did, I was just really scared. Well... thank you for staying with me. It was kind."  
  
"You're.........welcome." He didn't know what to say he certainly hadn't expected that. "Kathryn have you remembered any more about when you lived in Russia?" he asked changing the subject.  
  
"A little," she nodded. "But I told Kendall and Lindsey everything-"  
  
"I know, what did you remember?"  
  
"Amonia the smell of it and rubber gloves they hurt my skin. I don't know what it means or what they were used for though."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"A man, he was nice. He told me stories and he gave me this," she pulled a necklace out from under her shirt and leaned forwards so Jack could see it. "It's Raphael the Archangel Medal. He's the Patron Saint of-"  
  
"Guardian Angels," Jack finished inspecting the necklace. It looked quite old.  
  
"Yeah. He said it would keep me safe, almost like he knew that things would happen. Who knows maybe he did. I don't even know who he was but I remember he taught me French. That's all I remember."  
  
"Amonia and rubber gloves," he thought for a moment. "Were you in a hospital?"  
  
"No, I don't think so but I can't be sure." She stood and poured herself a cup of coffee. "They wanted me to do another regression therapy session. I said no, I can't not again, not right now."  
  
"Good-"  
  
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that coffee will stunt your growth?" Weiss picked himself up off the couch having woken. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down next to Kathryn.   
  
"I don't think coffee can stunt my growth anymore."  
  
"What ever you say shortee."  
  
"For the record, I'm not short, I'm vertically challenged."  
  
"Well that makes all the difference. That's like saying I'm horizontally advanced," he laughed and Kathryn just shot him a dirty look.  
  
"Kathryn you were awesome last night, wasn't she Jack?" Weiss made an attempt at groveling.  
  
"She did well," Jack nodded choosing his words carefully.  
  
"What? Come on Jack- Kat you kicked some serious ass last night. You were more than awesome!"  
  
"Thanks," her smile quickly faded when her eyes met with Jacks cold hard stare. Why did he always have to ruin everything?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Coming up next!!!! Someone rather unexpected makes a surprise visit! PLEASE REPLY Feedback has slowed down a lot. If you don't want to leave a comment please just say that you're reading so I know that people are still reading cause I won't continue to post it here if people don't want to read anymore. Oh there's a poll going on at All Alias.com http://forums.allalias.com/index.php?showforum=101 a couple stories are nominated in the poll so if you're interested go and vote for your favourite whichever story it may be. 


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Redemption 

Chapter 21

She could sense her before she saw her. The slight traces of perfume and the click of her heels on the polished tiled floor gave her away. "You're late…again," Kathryn looked up and over her shoulder smiling at Sydney.

"I know, I'm sorry," she sat in the chair next to Kathryn. "My meeting ran late and-"

"Syd, it's okay, I was just kidding really," she grinned closing the book she'd been reading and went to slip it in her knapsack.

"What's this?" Sydney asked snatching it out of her hands. "Child Psychology? Kat couldn't you find anything more interesting to read than my old textbooks?"

"It is interesting," she said taking it back.

"You should be reading something fun-"

"Like what—Harry Potter?" she stood slipping her knapsack over her shoulder.

"Sure like Harry Potter. You know Will gave me the set for Christmas last year, they're in the den-"

"Finished them last week," she laughed.

"You're horrible," Sydney put an arm around her shoulders. "You're in a good mood Katy, how did your session with Barnette go?" she asked. After Kathryn's sessions with Dr. Barnette she was usually quiet, reserved, depressed although she hid it well it was always there. But today she was different. Just a few minutes ago, she smiled. To Sydney, it was the first genuinely true happy smile to pass her lips.

Kathryn stopped in the middle of the hall staring at the floor, her bag sliding off her shoulder. "It was good," she slowly smiled looking up at her sister and Sydney could see that she was actually telling the truth for once. She was happy. "It was really really good," she nodded and then switched the subject. "You know after my session with Barnette I saw her with Kendall in the hall and I think he's got the hots for her. I think she likes him too."

"What?"

"I'm serious, he's totally hot for her in some sick Kendall sort of way. I—" she started walking again.

"Kat wait come here," Sydney took her hand leading her to some chairs outside one of the offices.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked concerned and sat down in one of the chairs.

"No, nothings wrong sweetie, I just-you know you can tell me anything right. I'll always listen, I'll always be here—"

"Syd, we've been over this, I can't tell you," Kathryn interrupted sighing heavily. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, its not a choice, I just can't. It's hard enough to talk to Barnette about it and having to tell Kendall and Lindsey and knowing that Eric knows too and your dad….." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "God I'm such a mess, a screwed up mess," she laughed bitterly.

"Kat you're not," Sydney hugged her and wiped her cheeks. "You're beautiful and you're strong, caring and smart and you are the bravest person I have ever met. I just want you to know that when and if you're ready, I will be here, to listen to support you, whatever you need I just want to help."

"Thank you," she hugged Sydney. "I appreciate that. Despite the fact that people have tried to either kill me or kidnap me since I met you—well what I mean is when I was growing up, every new Foster Home than I went to I used to pray that they'd keep me. I'd finally get the family that I wanted so badly but they never did. I never got that family until I met you and I don't want anything to change that. I used to just pretend that it all never happened but now I dealing with it and I feel better and that's because of you."

"Don't make me cry," Sydney laughed hugging her tightly. "I would do anything to take it all away, to change everything-" she tucked Kathryn's hair behind her ears.

"You already have," Kathryn smiled and wiped her eyes and then Sydney's cheeks. 

"Hey, you want to go and crash Vaughn and Weiss' hockey practice? We can teach them a thing or two."

"I don't know."

"Come on Kat it'll be fun. I promise."

"I can't skate."

"Is that all that's stopping you?"

~~~

"Sydney, I don't know about this," Kathryn wobbly stood.

"You'll have a blast I promise," Sydney took her hand walking her towards the rink door.

"But what if I fall?"

"I won't let you fall."

"But what if I do?"

"Then you'll get right back up and try again. You've really never been skating before?"

"Well once when I was three or four mom took me but I think she spent most of the time pushing me around in a chair."

"I remember when she did that to me too," Sydney smiled. "You'll be fine." She backed out onto the ice guiding Kathryn. "Just push off with your feet like this," she skated around in a circle demonstrating.

"Aaahhhh," Kathryn lost her balance and Weiss grabbed her before she hit the ground. He took her hands pulling her away, "come on Kat, I'll show you." 

Vaughn skated up to Sydney wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek. "If I remember correctly you didn't want to come to the rink today because you were tired."

"I know," she turned to face him. "But Katy had a good session with Barnette and Vaughn she smiled at me. I mean a real smile, not one of those fake ones she's always passing off, this one was real."

"That's great Syd, maybe now she'll start to open up a bit more."

"I hope so…" she said wistfully wanting nothing more than to become her sisters confident despite how painful it could be to hear the things she had to say. 

"Vaughn, Syd, look out!" Weiss shouted and they turned seeing Kathryn flying towards them at full speed.

"How do you stop!!!!!!" Kathryn shouted and narrowly missed Vaughn as she skated into the boards. 

"Are you okay Kat?" Vaughn skated over to her and helped her up.

"You let go of me on purpose!" 

"What? I didn't I swear," Eric turned hard and stopped a few feet away from her.

"You did so."

"Come on Eric you're a bad liar," Vaughn laughed and took Kathryn's hands. "I'll teach you how to stop," he said and skated backwards pulling her to the center of the ice.

"Syd it was an accident, I thought she was ready I swear," Eric took off his helmet and set it on the bench.

"Sure Weiss," she laughed but stopped suddenly seeing a figure in the stands. Kathryn called her name and she waved to her but when she looked back, the figure was gone.

"Eric, I'll be right back, I'm just going to the bathroom." She skated over to the door and slipped on her skate guards. She hobbled up the stairs out into the hallway looking both ways the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end but she saw no one.

"Hello Sydney," the voice was cool and controlled completely the opposite of what Sydney was currently feeling.

Sydney whirled around forgetting she had skates on and nearly fell over. The other person grabbed her shoulders steadying her. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to speak with you, about Katy-"

"You have no right to call her that—"

"I'm her mother."

"You abandoned her."

"I had to. There were circumstances-"

"Screw the circumstances. You could have told me about her as soon as I found out you were alive. I would have taken care of her—"

"And let the CIA get their hands on her? That was out of the question." 

"It would have been far better than the hell she's lived through for the past twelve years."

A look of confusion passed Irina's face, "how is she?"

"How is she?" Sydney felt like screaming but she controlled herself, her voice was cold and flat. "How do you think she is mom? She's hurt, confused, bitter, scared, broken and scarred, damaged but she's brave and she's strong. For almost four weeks she barely slept and when she did she'd wake up sick and screaming, she couldn't breath her nightmares were so bad. She could only fall asleep when someone was sitting beside her bed." Sydney's voice trembled with frustration and Irina remained quiet. "How can you just stand here and pretend like you did nothing wrong? Did you even bother to check on her once in a while or did you just forget she ever existed."

"I couldn't see her. I was afraid they would find her, but I had someone track her. I was assured she was well taken care of—"

"Well taken care of?" Sydney scoffed. 

"What are you implying?"

Sydney stared at her in silence. Her mother's poker face showed no emotion. She was cold, unfeeling, but after all she was Irina Derevko, nothing she said could ever be taken at face value. "Since you left her, Katy has been through hell. She spent six weeks in the hospital recovering from being shot. The doctors had to remove her spleen, she nearly died." Sydney's eyes filled with tears and she rapidly blinked them away. "She barely recovered from seeing her mother "Die" when her Foster Father decided to use her for sex. She was six years old; she was just a baby she couldn't fight back. She used to hide in her closet hoping he wouldn't find her but he always did. She left that home after almost a year. You think it would have stopped right? Well it didn't."

"You're saying that she was raped," Irina chose her words carefully. 

"I wish that was all I was saying," Sydney laughed bitterly. Irina turned away unable to face her daughter as she continued. "Yes she was raped. But she was beaten, abused, mistreated, and a lot more that I don't even know about because she's too afraid to tell me. She's afraid that I'll look at her differently, treat her differently. The only reason it stopped was because she got pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Irina turned around again to face Sydney, her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were dark flashing with anger and she stood rigid. 

"Yes mom. Katy was too scared to tell anyone what happened, she was afraid things would get worse, afraid that they would blame her even though it wasn't her fault and she knew it wasn't her fault. That's what kept her sane the whole time, she knew it wasn't her fault. The only reason it stopped was because she got pregnant when she was twelve and had her baby when she was thirteen. She was just a baby herself."

"What happened to the baby?"

"That's the thing, there was someone who knew about Katy. Sloane knew about her. He's known about her since just after her mother "Died". He kept her a secret; he didn't even know what was going on with her because she kept it so well hidden. She was afraid he wouldn't keep seeing her if he knew the truth. He started training her when she was eight. Buying her things, books, videos, enrolling her in classes, everything he could so that when the time was right, he was going to recruit her to work for SD-6. She never had the chance to live a normal life. Thankfully we took down SD-6 before he could recruit her. Sloane found out she was pregnant when she was in her seventh month. She hid it so well from everyone, her teachers, her foster parents, social worker, everyone. But she didn't know what to do, afraid of what people would think or say and the guy that raped her, her Foster brother said that he would kill her if she told anyone and so she tried to slit her wrists but she couldn't go through with it. Sloane saw the scars and he found out everything. After the baby, she learned how to fight back and it never happened again. Kathryn's baby…… he--he died," she lied. Only four people knew exactly where Kathryn's son was.

"That son of a bitch," Irina swore.

"You really didn't know did you," Sydney said slowly coming to the realization that her mother was indeed shocked to hear any of this.

"Of course not," she said furiously. "Do you really think I would have allowed it to continue? Yes I checked up on her, I saw her from a distance every once in a while. I had someone watching her but- Khasinau, he must have gotten to my informant."

"He's her father why would he do that?" 

"Her father-how did you-?"

"She had regression therapy she knows everything. What is it that you're not saying?"

Irina was silent for several moments. "You know she lived in Russia for about a year?"

"Yes when she was four. You took her there after Khasinau killed his brother, the man she thought was her father-"

"Correct. Without my knowledge, Alexander tested her using a design similar to Project Christmas but it was much more advanced, she was much more advanced than anyone ever dreamed of. She had a natural skill and when I found out what had happened I took her, and I ran. I brought her to New York under the name of Kathryn Sullivan. Alexander found us and that night at the store—it was an accident really. They just started shooting and I tried to stay with her but he pulled me away," Irina's voice never faltered as she calmly relayed the details to Sydney. "Alexander told his superiors, both K-Directorate 

and KGB that Katarina Derevko had died. I played the grieving mother, because it saved her life; she was far too valuable for them to loose. It was an embarrassment for them to loose her. I assure you Sydney that I knew nothing of it until after it was already done. They wanted her--to continue to test project Christmas and to train her, but there were other reasons that I was not privy too, I still do not know what those reasons were. I knew how smart she was, I knew her potential, what she was capable of doing of becoming but so did they and it was the last thing that I wanted for her. They would have trained her and had her working by the time she was fifteen or sixteen if not sooner. A child agent has its advantages. I couldn't allow that to happen and I couldn't tell you about her for fear they would find out she was alive and take her. I was trying to protect her from this life. I had to make a decision that I did not want to make. If Alexander wasn't already dead, I'd kill him again for doing this to her."

Sydney turned away from her piercing gaze trying to process everything she'd been told. So it wasn't just the Covenant who was after her sister. Kathryn was in far deeper than any of them had imagined. The pure anger and hatred in her mother's eyes made Sydney believe her, her mother was telling the truth and it pained her to do so. "Do you know what The Contessa is?" she asked softly. 

"No," Irina shook her head. "I've tried to gain information but no one seems to know anything. I suspect that whomever it is who wants her isn't telling anyone why. I'm beginning to wonder if it even exists."

"It exists," Sydney nodded. "She remembers Khasinau showing her something and calling it The Contessa but she doesn't know what it was."

"Do you think it has anything to do with the Rambaldi Prophecy?" Sydney asked.

"No," the tone in her voice was sincere. "If they know about Kathryn than they know that she is not the woman in the prophecy. She most likely shares all the same characteristics except for one; she's left handed."

"What if Rambaldi was wrong?"

"I don't think so. Sydney I don't know what happened to Kathryn in Russia, I wasn't there. I wouldn't have allowed it and they knew that so they kept me away," her tone changed and her eyes softened. "Despite what you or your father might think, I love my daughter. Kathryn was what kept me going after I had to leave you. I loved her, I still love her more than anything—I love you both more than anything." 

Sydney felt tears pricking her eyes but she forced them away allowing her mother to continue. 

"You were twelve when she was born and I missed you so much. She was…my second chance, my redemption but I failed her, and I failed you. Sometimes life forces you to make decisions, to make choices that you do not want to have to make but you do out of necessity. I had to make that choice when I left you and when I had to leave Kathryn I have never regretted that decision until now. She was alive and I thought she was happy but I was wrong. I trusted a man that I shouldn't have and I am going to have to live with that for the rest of my life. I would do anything to repair the damage that I did but I can't."

"She is getting better," Sydney said softly hoping to offer her mother even a glimmer of hope. She looked as if she had aged ten years in only the past five minutes. "She doesn't have nightmares every night any more and she's opening up a bit but she's still hurting."

"Good, I hope that things become easier for her soon. Sydney, it is imperative that you don't tell her or anyone not even your father about her involvement with Project Christmas." Irina was dead serious. "If word gets out that Katarina Derevko is alive, you know they won't stop until they get what they are after. You know that better than anyone."

"I understand."

"Keep her safe Sydney, she needs you more than she knows."

"I will."

"Syd?" a distinctively male voice called to her.

"Coming," she shouted out. "I'll be right back," she whispered to her mother and then hurried down the hallway where she bumped into Weiss. 

"Hey Syd, Kat's looking for you, she wants to play hockey—who were you talking to?"

"Oh just a friend from school," she looked over her shoulder but her mother was gone. She followed him back into the arena. 

"Your dad just called. I answered your phone, he just said to tell you that he was fine but he wouldn't be in to work until tomorrow afternoon, something about strawberry contamination, what ever that means," he shrugged.

"Oh right, he's allergic, thanks Weiss," she said distractedly. She removed her skate guards and stepped back out onto the ice. 

"Syd are you alright?" he asked skating up behind her. "You seem worried, is it your dad?"

"No, I'm fine really," she flashed him a smile. "How's Kat doing?"

"Great she's a natural, only fallen twice. I showed her how to shoot and now she wants to play."

Sydney stood back watching Kathryn take a few practice shots with Vaughn in the net, his hockey stick clearly much too large for her but she almost got the puck in. "Good shot," Sydney called out to her plastering a false smile on her face. It was all she could do to keep from screaming. Her sister was in far more danger than anyone had realized. 

~~~

Jack slowly walked up the stairs to his apartment, his stomach heaving with each step. Two hours spent at the hospital and three needles later he was finally free and silently cursing himself for not having read the ingredients on the box. 

There was a package wrapped in brown paper resting on the mat in front of his door and he looked around carefully before picking it up and entering his apartment. He recognized the handwriting. He got a pair of gloves from the kitchen drawer and a sharp knife and slit the tape open slowly unwrapping the object. 

It was a book. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnette. It was a first edition he noted carefully opening it. He stopped on the inside cover a short message. He recognized Irina's handwriting once again, her delicate scroll decorating the left page.

__

She has your spirit

He could sense that it was something important, what could four words mean. He got his answer immediately. Holding the marker on Chapter 12 was a folded up piece of paper. Slowly he opened it; the creases well defined from repeatedly being folded and unfolded; his breath caught in his throat as he struggled to control it. His question was answered by three simple words He sat down on the counter stool and looked away unable to believe, not wanting to believe but suprisingly satisfied and content at finally knowing the truth. 

He looked back at the document. The document that was going to change three lives forever but would it be for the good? It was questionable but the pieces of a broken puzzle were finally beginning to fit together.

She has your spirit 

It was almost a question and three words were its answer.

Katarina Madrid Bristow

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N So what did you guys think just hit that little purple button and review PLEASE!!!  
Now I left a few clues in recent chapters that Jack was Kats father so Kudos go to anyone who can name them.

I have no idea how to write the part when Jack tells Kathryn that he's her father, so if anyone has any ideas let me know.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

A/N

Hey everyone, hope you like this chapter. It's really really long, I just couldn't break it up anywhere, hope you're not disapointed! Please Review!!

Redemption 

Chapter 22

His head ached.

He popped a few more aspirin hoping to dull the pain but it was self inflicted; self inflicted pain was never easily dulled. Scotch would do that to you. He hadn't really slept; hadn't eaten; just sat in the darkened living room the night before nursing a bottle of scotch and staring at the birth certificate as if there was a chance it might have changed since he last read the three words. He'd sat there until he passed out, his fingers curled around the glass of scotch that was his only company, and the birth certificate, which never left his fingertips. 

Not that you'd know that now of course.

Jack Bristow was impeccably dressed as always. He sat at his desk several files open but he couldn't read them, he'd already found the answer he was looking for and the proof was burning a hole in his pocket. The question was why. Why had Irina kept it a secret for so many years? She'd had plenty of opportunity to tell him but then again maybe she had wanted to but something held her back.

The night in Panama before her escape, he'd sensed that there was something she'd wanted to tell him, but she didn't, something held her back. He wondered if it had been about Kathryn, hoped it had been about Kathryn but why now. What had made her decide that now was the time to tell him about his daughter?

His daughter.

He wasn't sure he could get used to saying those words, thinking about Kathryn.

He didn't know how he'd be able to tell her the truth. She wouldn't take it well. He knew how she'd react. Denial, disbelief, she'd lash out, shed a few tears of anger and frustration and then shut down; flick that switch and emotionally detach herself. The denial, disbelief, tears—just how Sydney would react. But then she would shut down, grow cold emotionless, detached, just like her mother… and as hard as it was to admit it, just like her father. 

How would he tell this child that the man she adamantly despised was her flesh and blood. That was his first mistake._ Don't treat her like a child _a voice inside his head screamed at him. She wasn't a child. She'd stopped being a child the day her mother died. She'd grown up far too soon, far too fast in a world where she was lost. The day of her regression therapy when they'd all learned the hell she grown up in he'd wanted to kill anyone who had ever hurt her. He'd wanted to tear them limb from limb, but who wouldn't want to. He'd reacted like anyone would, like any parent would. Everyone in that room had wanted too strangle those who had harmed her, even Robert Lindsey. Listening to her screams of anguish, her cries, her whimpers had only manifested these feelings and he'd slipped his hands inside his pockets to keep them from shaking in anger. 

That night, listening to her nightmares, her screams her cries, his feelings had changed. No longer did he want to simply murder the people responsible for her pain and suffering particularly a certain 'Daddy Caldwell' he wanted to torture them. Slow painful torture and to show them her pictures, the video footage, her eyes, to show them what they'd done to this innocent little girl. They'd taken away her innocence, murdered her soul, deserted her and forced her to become something she never should have had too. She became a secret keeper. The best damn secret keeper he'd ever seen. Bottling everything up inside, hiding all 'their' sins within the walls and boundaries she'd built around herself. She'd kept their secrets, hid their sins and miraculously survived. By the grace of god she was still here. What they didn't know was that they had built a survivor.

She was a survivor. When she was twelve she'd had nothing else to loose. Seven months pregnant; well hidden between layers of clothes and winter jackets with no one to turn too, no hope for a future, with nothing else to loose. She'd attempted suicide, tried to slit her wrists. She couldn't go through with it and he thanked God for that. Her son at least deserved a chance in this world. He'd seen the scars on her wrists, knew what they meant. His fingers had played lightly of the thin white lines, rubbing them softly, as if the repeated action would will them away as she's lain still beside him in a drug induced slumber. He'd been forced to ask Arvin about those scars. He was almost glad Arvin had been there. After that she'd never been a victim again.

Even months later her cries still haunted him, they were only a mere distant memory now but the one thing he could never forget was when she asked for her Daddy.

Over and over again it puzzled him why she in dreams she would call out for a man she hardly remembered. Perhaps Petrov Khasinau had been a good father to her, or perhaps it was just her subconscious telling her that there was more to the story. To this day he hadn't forgotten, wouldn't ever forget the way her voice sounded. Small, innocent, child like as she pleaded in her terror filled dreams for her father. It was now that Jack wished he could have responded to her with three simple words. 'Daddy's right here.' 

The knowledge that Kathryn was his daughter had changed him yes. It left him confused and disoriented yes. But there wasn't a simple switch inside him that automatically turned on and he could start treating her as if she were his daughter. Trust took time to build; he just wasn't sure they had the foundation for that trust or if they had the time to build it. Perhaps he had treated Kathryn a little unfairly. She was Irina's daughter; no one knew anything about her. If he'd had the knowledge then that she was his daughter would it have changed things, changed the way he'd reacted to her? The sad answer was yes. He wouldn't have been so hard on her, alienated her so much, perhaps even offered a few words of comfort.

Irina. 

What had possessed her to leave Kathryn in the care of the state? Why had she not sent their daughter to him or made better arrangements for her future, she'd had money, resources, contacts, why hadn't she used them. The simple fact that she was Kathryn Sullivan and not Katarina Bristow or Katarina Derevko told him that Irina had her reasons for keeping their daughter a secret but why in Gods name hadn't she said anything sooner.

He glanced down at the photographs in front of him. Kathryn, age 4, happy and smiling, full of life. Age 5 sad and lonely, big eyes pleading for love and affection, pleading for compassion. Her mother had already died and she was living in hell. Age 17, the photo from a surveillance video. He could barely recognize her; her hair dyed a mirage of bright colors, in her waitressing uniform, the skirt was far too short. She smiled but it was artificial, her eyes told the truth. They hadn't changed since she was 5; she was still sad and lonely. The next one taken two months earlier, the day she'd been rescued from the Covenant. She was recognizable but only just so. The color had been washed out from her hair; swelling and bruises covered most of her face and her arms were hidden under layers of thick bandages. The last photograph, the one taken the week before in Spain. She was dancing with Agent MacGyver, or JD Salenger, as she knew him by. Even underneath the long red wig, piercing blue contacts and all that makeup he could recognize her. The way she carried herself, the way she moved spoke, the way she continuously tucked her hair behind her ears. Everything about her screamed familiarity but he'd denied it all. He'd been hard on her, he shouldn't have but no one wanted her caught up in this life. He hadn't been surprised with her performance at the ball. She'd been taught how to lie, how to deceive from the very best. As much as he wanted to deny it, it couldn't. Sloan was right, she would have made a phenomenal agent but there was no way he would allow it. If he had to, he'd place her in witness protection and never see her again if it meant that she was safe.

He'd seen the signs, subconsciously chose to ignore them, but why? Her appearance had stirred up a feeling he'd thought had long since past. Confusion about her mother. Why had he ignored the signs, they were subtle but looking back he knew they were there if he's just looked a little harder, probed a little deeper he would have found the truth much sooner. She was left-handed, he was left-handed. She was stubborn strong willed never gave up. She was allergic to strawberries; he was allergic to strawberries, the list went on... Why hadn't he done the DNA test when she'd first come to them, why had he waited until only this morning? He'd had no reason to he reminded himself. He hadn't been with her mother since before Laura died. Or so he'd thought. 

Madrid, 1985. Exactly nine months before Kathryn was born, five years after Laura died. The timeframe fit, the circumstances fit, everything made sense. He'd been on a mission, he remembered being shot and that was all. Arvin had found him three days later with a roaring fever and a slowly healing gunshot wound, carefully bandaged and cleaned. He'd had no idea who had taken care of him. His blood test results showed traces of a medication, one designed to ensure short-term memory loss. The answer now was obvious. Irina must have been in Madrid. She must have found him, taken him somewhere cared for him, slept with him and then ensured that he had no memory of their encounter. 

There was no denying that Kathryn, that Katarina was his daughter. He'd come in to work early. Her blood sample was on file. It took only minutes to confirm what he already knew. She was his daughter. A daughter he never knew existed. He was her father, a man she adamantly disliked. She'd made that perfectly clear in so many words during the plane ride to Spain.

__

"I've been taking care of myself since I was five years old so don't try to act like some kind of a father to me. You're not my father and I don't need one. I had a father and now he's dead and I've been doing just fine without one."

"You're a horrible father, you lied to her, her whole life-"

"My entire life has been one big lie and I would appreciate it if you would respect that the next time I ask you a question. I want the truth; I don't care what the costs may be. I want the truth!"

He'd contemplated not telling her; perhaps it would be easier if she never knew. He'd made a promise to her however; he wouldn't lie to her. By not telling her that he was her father, he would have been shielding her from the truth yes, but it would have been just another lie and when she found out, despite if he thought it was best for her, there would be hell to pay.

Besides it's not as if her feelings towards him would change. It might take time, if they ever did at all but he didn't know how to handle her, how to handle a teenager. He'd barely been around Sydney in her teenage years. Then again, Kathryn wasn't just any teenager. She had far more life experience than even she wanted to admit. 

Then again there was a chance that maybe, she would surprise him…

"Dad?" Sydney knocked and opened his office door. "Are you alright? I got your message and I tried to call but you didn't answer-"

"Sydney come in," Jack stood and closed the door behind her. "We need to talk. Has your mother contacted you recently?"

"No," she said quickly, almost too quickly. "Why would she?"

"Where's Kathryn?"

"She's with Marshall, they're working on some kind of computer program or something but she said she had something important she wants to show you-Dad what's going on?"

"Sit down," Jack sat on the edge of his desk and waited until she sat in the chair. "We need to talk… it's about Kathryn."

~~~

"So if you just change the variables then ta da……" Marshall stood back hitting a few keys on his computer.

"That is so cool," Kathryn grinned looking at the hemp bracelet around her wrist, "you wouldn't even know."

"That's the beauty of it," Marshall grinned. "It's so tiny---" he was interrupted by his phone and he answered it. 

"That was Agent Bristow, Jack, he needs to see you right away, he sounded…upset." 

"Great," she sighed slipping off the edge of his desk. "I wonder what crime I've committed now. I'll see you later Marshall, ah almost forgot" she grabbed her doll Sophie, off the desk.

"Bye Kat," he waved her off. "Oh wait the bracelet-" but she was gone. He shrugged; he'd get it back from her later.

~~~

Kat knocked on Jack's office door and opened it. He and Sydney were both in there deep in conversation. There was silence as she entered. She crossed her arms over her chest nervously, something was wrong. 

"What ever they said I did, I didn't do it," she said immediately sure that she was in trouble for something, hopefully not the small practical joke she'd played on Kendall the week before.

"What?" Jack asked confused. "Kathryn come in, we need to talk."

"What's going on? Has something happened?" she asked concerned. 

"Sit down."

"I'd rather stand thank you, Syd-"

"Kathryn, just sit down," Sydney stood and took her hand and led her to the couch. Jack closed the blinds in his office ensuring complete privacy and pulled a chair over to sit in front of Kathryn and Sydney. 

"What's going on? Why so secretive?" She was worried now and scared. Slowly she brought her legs up to her chest wrapping her arms around them, holding her doll against her chest.

"Have you ever seen this before?" Carefully Jack handed her the book.

She ran her fingers over the worn cover smiling faintly. "It's mine, it's my favorite," she said wistfully, her eyes filling with tears. "It's A Little Princess, a first edition. Mom gave it to me on my fourth birthday. She and I, we were reading it, how did you find it? I haven't seen it since before she died—before she left."

"She sent it to me."

"What?"

"I found it outside my front door last night." Jack opened the inside cover.

"This wasn't there before-" Kathryn said confused tracing her fingers over the short script. "She has your spirit," she read aloud. "What does that mean?" 

"Katy do you recognize the handwriting?" Sydney asked.

"Yeah, it's hers… my moth- it's Irina's," she nodded and slowly opened the book to the marker. "We were reading it right before she went to work, we stopped on chapter twelve—" she pulled out the folded up piece of paper "what is this," she asked opening it. 

"Kathryn, your mother sent me this book to tell me, to tell us something."

"What are you talking about?" she asked unfolding the paper.

"Alexander Khasinau is not your father," Jack watched her as she unfolded the birth certificate. The color drained from her face. "I am."

She was silent staring at the paper she held in her hand. "Katarina Madrid Bristow," she read. "Mother, Irina Derevko; father Jonathan Donahue Bristow. Born …… This is a mistake." She said finally.

"Kathryn-"

"No," she dropped her hand and the birth certificate fell to the floor. "That's not even my birthday. Whatever game she's trying to play-"

"Katy-"

"Don't call me that," she stood glaring at Jack in disbelief. "This isn't me, I wasn't born in Canada, I was born in New York City, I've lived there my whole life."

"Kathryn sit down, I know this is somewhat of a shock to you but you need to understand—" 

"She's a liar. My name is Kathryn Anne Sullivan-" She began to walk away but Jack grabbed her wrist tightly.

"Kathryn Sullivan never existed and you know that. Paul Sullivan was just an alias Irina created—"

"Let go of me," her eyes were cold filled with unshed tears that she refused to let spill. 

"I understand that this is difficult to accept, the circumstances surrounding your conception were unusual."

"I don't want to hear this," she tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her go. Sydney sat calmly on the couch allowing the events to play out without her interruption. 

"You need to calm down and listen to me. I did a DNA test, the results were conclusive-"

"I don't need to do anything you say. You're not my father," she spat at him, catching him off guard and jerked her arm away. 

"Katy, please just listen to what he has to say-" Sydney pleaded.

"You actually believe this, you of all people-"

Jack got the DNA results from his desk and handed them to her. "I know that you know how to read this. Blood doesn't lie Kathryn."

She glanced down at the paper. "She must have done something to manipulate—"

"Kathryn I did the test myself, there is no mistake. I understand that this is difficult for you to accept-"

"Difficult? This is ludicrous," she felt like screaming at him. Why were they so resigned to accept it? "I was born six years after she left you, therefore you couldn't be my father, it's impossible-"

"It's not impossible. Kathryn, nine months almost to the day before you were born, I was on a mission in Madrid, I was shot, I lost three days, I don't remember-"

"You don't remember sleeping with your wife?" she laughed. "Oh excuse me, I apologize ex-wife, it is kind of hard to keep track you know."

"That's exactly what I am saying. When I was found I had traces of a chemical in my blood stream. It's designed to induce short term memory loss."

"This is ridiculous," she sighed closing her eyes. "Whatever she or you hope to gain by this just don't try--you're not my father and I don't need you." She grabbed her sweater from the edge of the sofa and reached for the door handle.

"Where do you think you're going, we need to talk about this."

"No," she turned around the door half-open. "You want to tell lies and I have nothing to say to you." 

"Katy please," Sydney reached for her hand. "Please don't leave like this, he's telling the truth, he is your father, our father. We're not trying to hurt you."

"Correction, you're not trying to hurt me," her voice was cold, flat. She looked at Jack. "He has a hidden agenda," he avoided her gaze. "I have an appointment with Barnette, I'll be back later—I just, I need to think and I can't do that here." She turned and let the door slam behind her.

"She doesn't mean it Dad, I'll talk to her," Sydney reached for her jacket. 

"No."

"What?" 

"Leave her be for now, talk to her after her session with Barnette, she'll be calmer, think clearer." 

She nodded, "we have a briefing in an hour, I need to prepare my notes." She watched her father pick up Kathryn's birth certificate and her doll. He held the doll up to show Sydney who just shrugged unsure of why she'd brought it and he slipped it into one of his desk drawers. She bent and picked up the book and handed to her father. "Dad, she didn't mean what she said. She's just confused. We both know she could read those DNA results. She knows that you're telling the truth, you were right blood doesn't lie, it'll just take her some time."

Jack folded up the birth certificate and slid it back into the book marking chapter twelve. "You'd better go, I'll see you at the briefing." 

Sydney nodded and left his office. Why had her mother chosen now to reveal this information? Was it because of their meeting the day before or had she been planning to do it all along? Perhaps it was an attempt to relieve her own guilt. Whatever her mother's reasons were at least now they knew the truth.

~~~

"The question still remains is why Sark had his own man assassinated," Dixon sat down in his chair in the briefing room.

"It's just not his style," Sydney sighed twisting her pen cap. She glanced up at her father; he'd been particularly quiet during the meeting, no doubt still concerned about his confrontation with Kathryn. 

A knock on the door interrupted them and in walked Jack's secretary. "I'm sorry to interrupt. Agent Bristow you have a call from Dr. Barnette, she wanted to know why Miss. Sullivan missed her appointment, she's on line one, I thought you'd want to know right away."

Jack grabbed the phone and connected to Barnette's office. "Barnette, this is Jack Bristow, Kathryn never showed up for her appointment? Contact me immediately if she does." He turned to his secretary, "get security up here, I want all exits sealed until a thorough search has been made."

His secretary nodded and left the room.

"She hasn't called me," Sydney set her phone down on the table. "What are you thinking?" she asked her father.

"Jack is that really necessary?" Dixon asked.

"Yes," he nodded slowly. "I don't think she's in the building anymore and she's ticked off."

"Agent Bristow, Jack I might be able to help," Marshall stood and walked over to the group. "When you last saw her was she wearing a bracelet?"

Jack shrugged and turned to Sydney. "Yes," she nodded slowly. "A brown one with beads on it."

"My latest invention," he grinned. "I was showing it to her before you called her to your office. "It has a transmitter in it."

"Activate it," Jack moved so he could sit in front of the computer. Marshall logged onto his server with the other agents crowding around the terminal.

"Well good news and bad news," Marshall said. "Good news is that she is still wearing the bracelet, the bad news is that currently she's flying over the Pacific Ocean."

"Oh my god," Sydney closed her eyes sighing. "They've got her."

Jack met her eyes; "the question is who." 

~~~

2 hours later

"Dad," Sydney burst into his office. "Marshall's located her transmitter again, she's in Mexico City at the airport. There's a team nearby, they're searching the airport now." 

Jack got up from his desk and followed Sydney into the rotunda. Marshall sat at a terminal with Dixon, Weiss, Vaughn and Kendall surrounding him. 

Jack and Sydney slipped on headsets as they waited for news about Kathryn. Several minutes later the operations leader came on. 

"We found the transmitter," his voice crackled through. "It was in the women's bathroom, in the garbage. Negative on the target. She's not here."

"Damn it," Jack swore and threw down his headset. He turned to Sydney and took her hand squeezing it gently. "We'll find her sweetheart. We have to."

"I know," she turned and hugged him. "She'll be okay, she's strong—like you. She has to be okay."

Jack held her close stroking her hair. "Don't you worry, we'll find her." They had to find her; failure was not an option. 

~~~

Groggily Kathryn opened her eyes. Every muscle in her body ached. She'd been unconscious for hours. She tried to sit up but she couldn't, her arms and legs were strapped to a table. A guard came near her his gun trained on her. 

"Hey, how's it going," she said hoarsely, watching him as he unbuckled her arms and legs freeing them from the restraints.

"On your feet," he said in a thick Russian accent and roughly he grabbed her arm and she slid off the table. Her legs felt numb and week as he directed her to a man across the room. The man raised his gun and pointed it at her and the guard handcuffed her hands behind her back. 

"I know you," she said softly recognizing him. "You broke my arm."

"On your knees." 

When she didn't move the guard pushed her down and she cried out in pain as her knees slammed into the concrete. 

"This will finally end." The man cocked his gun and she felt the cool metal against her temple. 

She swallowed hard; tears snaked their way down her cheeks, so this was the end. "We could talk about this you know, before you do anything rash, before you do something you'll regret."

"Quiet," he shouted at her. His hand was steady, controlled as he held the gun to her head.

"It's just that I'm sure we can work something out. What ever the Covenant is paying you to kill me, I'm sure it mustn't nearly be enough," her voice trembled from fear

"I'm not part of The Covenant," he pulled the gun away from her head momentarily teasing her and she looked up at him her cheeks stained with tears, her eyes pleading. He laughed and replaced the gun against her head. "Say good bye Katarina."

"Please, no-" her words were lost and her world exploded as he pulled the trigger and everything went black.


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Redemption

Chapter 23

Viktor Melnikov stood over her body keeping his gun locked on her. He kicked her several times and used the top of his foot to lift her head. She didn't move and he bent down moving aside her long dark hair. He checked for a pulse, there was none and her head fell back against the concrete, into a dark pool of blood quickly forming. "She's dead." He stood and wiped the blood of his hand using a cloth one of the guards handed him. He walked to his superior. "It's over," he glanced back one last time at teenager. 

"Take care of it," was all he said before turning on his heel and walking away.

~~~

Four days, five hours and counting. That's how long it had been since Kathryn had disappeared and there was not a damned thing Jack could do about it. 

It was a waiting game. Wait for her abductors to send them intel, wait to find her alive or wait to find her dead.

The CIA had tapped every asset they'd had. Jack had paid off every informant he could get his hands on but everything led to a dead end. They couldn't even confirm that The Covenant was responsible for Kathryn's abduction. Jack couldn't even confirm when and how she'd been taken. His daughter had dropped off the face of the earth. She'd run out of the CIA building ten minutes after leaving Jack's office and no one had seen or heard from her again. 

It was long past midnight when he'd left the office normally he'd have gone home to drown his sorrows in a glass of scotch but not tonight. Tonight he had scheduled to make contact with his ex-wife. Sitting in his car, parked at the old fairgrounds he opened his laptop and logged onto the chat room. He entered the designated room and waited.

__

Russian Babe I saw your ad in The Times

JB620 I got your book

RussianBabe I know you're upset with me just please understand that I had my reasons. I was trying to do what I thought was best for her.

JB620 You could have told me sooner, should have told me as soon as we found her.

RussianBabe I tried

JB620 In Panama?

RussianBabe Yes, I won't deny that I should have told you sooner, that I feel responsible for what has happened but I had reasons for doing what I did.

JB620 Madrid in 85 you were there.

RussianBabe I was, you were pretty sick. 

JB620 None of that matters now. Kathryn is missing

RussianBabe Missing?

JB620 Four Days now, we have no idea who has her, no intel, no leads, nothing. Have you heard anything? I would assume that it has something to do with The Contessa but I'm not entirely sure The Covenant is responsible.  


RussianBabe I haven't heard anything but I'll check in to it. Jack I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner, perhaps this could have been prevented. You need to talk to Sydney

JB620 What aren't you saying

RussianBabe Talk to Sydney, I told her not to tell you, I was afraid that word would get out and Katarina would be in more danger. It seems rather irrelevant now.

JB620 What have you done?

RussianBabe Just talk to Sydney. I will begin my own investigation into her disappearance and upload any info to our FTP drop site.

JB620 We'll find her

RussianBabe We have to find her. I'm sorry that I kept her from you. I miss you

JB620 miss you too. I'll contact you when I hear something

Jack closed his laptop and sat in silence for a few moments contemplating everthing Irina had just told him before he started the engine and he sat there even longer. He'd suspected that Sydney had been lying to him when she said she'd had no contact with her mother and now he knew she had. Putting the car in drive he pulled out of the parking garage and sped all the way to Sydney's home.

"Dad?" Sydney let him in. "Is it Katy did you find her?"

"Sydney, I contacted your mother and I need to know everything she told you about Kathryn," he looked up at her stunned face. "Everything."

"Dad, it's not that I didn't want to tell you but, she-mom was afraid that Katy would get hurt if anyone found out."

"Sydney, I don't care what her reasons were, I just need to know word for word what she told you."

Sydney nodded and they sat down as she relayed to her father everything her mother had told her about Kathryn and the vague reasons as to why she'd left her all those years before. 

"I really think mom was trying to protect her," Sydney said finally after Jack had sat in silence for several minutes. "Whatever her reasons were, I think she thought she was doing what was best."

"Agreed," Jack nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "I doubt even Irina knows the extent to which Khasinau trained your sister."

"If she'd known, you know she wouldn't have allowed it, despite her history, I know she wouldn't have allowed it."

"I know," Jack stood and reached for his coat. "I should go now."

"Dad wait, it's late and you're tired, you should just stay here."

"Sydney, I'll be fine-"

"Please, since Katy's been gone, it's just been empty here-"

"I'll sleep on the couch-"

"You can stay in her room-"

"The couch is fine Sydney."

"Dad it's not your fault you know that." Sydney stood taking his hand. 

"Sydney if I had allowed you-"

"If you'd allowed me to go after her than there is a chance that she'd be here yes, but they would have come after her again. It would only be a matter of time before they found her, before they took her. It's not your fault."

"You should get some rest," he cupped her cheek in his hand and she brought her hand up to his. "Sweet dreams."

"Good night Dad." Sydney made her way down the hallway but stopped turning to watch him for a moment. He looked so broken, pained. He blamed himself for Kathryn's kidnapping even though it wasn't his fault.

~~~

Vaughn threw his headset down in frustration. "Weiss did you find anything with SVR?"

He shook his head, "nothing. No mention of Kathryn or The Contessa. I tried Sydney's contact and he tried his contact and nothing. Honestly man, it's like Kat went up in pool of smoke. We can't even find so much as a witness who saw them take her."

"The only thing we've got is her fingerprints in the bathroom at the airport in Mexico City. I pulled the security cameras; she's not on them. I'm beginning to wonder if she was ever in Mexico City in the first place-"

"Agent Vaughn, I want you to look into Project Christmas with the KGB 1989-1991, Pay particular attention to the testing on children especially girls in 1990." Jack stopped by Vaughns desk dumping a stack of files. "Check with your contact in Moscow see if he has any intel regarding a training facility." 

"Does this have something to do with Kathryn?" he asked curiously.

"This has everything to do with Kathryn. During her time spent in Russia when she was four, Alexander Khasinau tested an advanced version of Project Christmas on her-"

"Jack," Kendall called out to him, he stood in front of Dixons office. "I need to see you and Sydney now."

He nodded and looked over at Sydney who stood up from her desk and walked to Dixon's office. There was something in his voice. 

"Jack why don't you sit down," Kendall motioned to the chair beside Sydney.

"I'd rather stand," he looked around the room. In addition to Kendall and Dixon, Bob Lindsey and Devlin were in the room. "What's going on?"

"Jack-"

"Tell me."

Devlin stepped forwards, "approximately twenty five minutes ago we received intel regarding Ms. Sullivan, more specifically a video tape and photographs." 

"I want to see them."

"Jack, I don't-"

"I want to see them now."

"What aren't you saying?" Sydney asked standing.

"Analysis has been over the video several times, they've found no anomalies, no editing, no animation, nothing. It's authentic." Dixon stood next to Sydney his hand resting on his former partner's shoulder. "It's a video of Kathryn's death." 

"I need to see it," she whispered in disbelief.

"Agent Bristow, I would advice against it," Lindsey spoke up.

"Just show us," she cried out. "I have to see it for myself." 

Nodding slowly Devlin turned the computer monitor to face them and pulled up the video file.

"Oh God," Sydney covered her mouth stifling a cry and her father squeezed her shoulder lightly. The camera showed a close up of Kathryn's face, it was covered in cuts and bruises, and she'd definitely put up a fight. She watched as her sister was led over to a man, forced to her knees. She begged for her life but it was to no avail as the man raised his gun to her temple and pulled the trigger.

"What do you think is going on in there?" Marshall pulled his chair over to Vaughn's desk and nodded to Dixon's office, Carrie joined them as well.

"I don't know," Vaughn shook his head and looked at Weiss. "But whatever it is, it can't be good-"

He'd barely been able to get the words out when a scream from Dixon's office shattered the silence. The entire rotunda grew quiet all eyes on Dixon's office. Vaughn stood to go to the office but Weiss held him back as they listened to Sydney's strangled sobs. 

Suddenly the door opened and Sydney burst through sobbing, she headed for the bathroom but never made it and found the nearest garbage can to be sick in. Vaughn rushed to her side and held her hair back. He looked up at Jack who stood in the doorway to Dixon's office; he was visibly shaken. 

"Syd?" Vaughn put his arms around her as she stood. He walked her over to her desk located parallel to his. "Syd what happened?"

"She's gone," Sydney said in a hoarse whisper. She looked up at her father momentarily before looking back to Vaughn. "They killed her, Katy's dead."

Vaughn could do nothing but wrap his arms around her and hold her as she cried. Silence deafened the room. Many agents were discussing in hushed whispers, some cried others sat stunned. In her comings and goings Kathryn had gotten to know many of the agents by name and often assisted them when needed with code deciphering, computer programming, and language translation. She'd just become a constant pleasure, full of life and reminding the agents exactly what they were working for. Marshall had his arm around Carrie who was dabbing her eyes with a tissue her hand resting lightly on her protruding belly. Weiss sat in his chair stunned unable to move or say anything at all.

Jack surveyed the room momentarily before turning to Devlin. "Find out where that video was taken. I want an ID on the man who murdered my daughter."

A/N Feedback please!!! Just hit that little purple button and let me know what you think!


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Redemption  
  
Chapter 24  
  
He led her away from the curious onlookers, the looks of sympathy, the looks of pity that he knew she'd detest.  
  
"I can't believe she's dead," Sydney whispered into his shoulder.  
  
"Tell me what happened?"  
  
"They got a video and pictures," her voice trembled as she struggled to control her breathing. "It was meant for us, it showed them .. it's authentic." She shuddered  
  
"Sshhh," Vaughn held her close again. "We'll find them, we'll find who did this."  
  
"They found her body in Rome early this morning, intelligence," Sydney pulled away from him trying desperately to compose herself. "My dad is going to identify her and bring her home, I should go with him."  
  
"Syd you don't have to-"  
  
"Yes I do. Vaughn this is all my fault."  
  
"What? Syd no, you couldn't have prevented this-"  
  
"My mother came to see me, the other day at the ice rink. She told me things about Katy that I should have told my father right away, she told me not too and I shouldn't have listened to her."  
  
"Syd this wasn't your fault." He took her in his arms again and looked through the window towards Jacks office. Sydney followed his gaze. Jack sat behind his desk staring at the wall unmoving like stone. "What he said before-is it true?"  
  
"That he's her father?" she looked to him for clarification and he nodded. "He is," she nodded. "We thought Khasinau was her father, so did she, it was never even a question, but we never thought." her voice trailed off and she shook her head and wiped her eyes. "This is killing him," she said softly looking over at her father. "I should be with him," she started to walk away but Vaughn took her hand stopping her. "You know where I'll be if you need me-I could go with you to Rome."  
  
She shook her head. "We need to do this, but thank you." She kissed his cheek and wiped her eyes. "I'll see you again before we leave."  
  
He watched her walk away, to her father's office. She looked as if she could break, fall apart at any moment but he knew she wouldn't. He watched her enter her office. Jack didn't make a move as she closed the door behind him. He just stared at the small rag doll in his hands, twirling it by the arms over and over again. Sydney pulled a chair over to his and sat there for a few moments before leaning back in her chair and covering his hand with hers.  
  
Running a hand through his hair Vaughn returned to his desk and sat down. Weiss, Marshall and Carrie hadn't moved from their spots and a new face had joined them, Will. Weiss sat playing with his yo-yo watching the toy methodically go up and down. Marshall had tears in his eyes and was trying desperately not to let them show.  
  
"Mike, is it true?" Will asked finally breaking the thick silence.  
  
He sat down retrieving the coin from his desk. He flipped it several times before looking up at their expectant faces. He dropped it back into the drawer, "yes." He began rearranging the files on his desk before knocking them onto the floor in frustration. "Kat's dead. We received video confirmation and Sydney and Jack are going to Rome to retrieve her body."  
  
"She was so kind, and smart," Marshall stuttered to himself slowly processing the news he'd just received. "She'd kill me if she knew I'd told you this but remember last week with Kendall and the baseball hat." he started laughing and Carrie glared at him. "Well it was funny really-"  
  
"That was Kat?" Will laughed remembering the incident and how Kendall had walked around for three days with a Mets cap on his head. "I thought it was you," he pointed to Weiss. "But I didn't think you'd have the guts to do it."  
  
"What?" Weiss asked in disbelief. "Oh that hat Kat written all over it."  
  
"The Mets won the pennant," Marshall grinned. "She just wanted to make sure that he knew that. I doubt he even knew it was her until she gave him the solution to get the glue off."  
  
Vaughn suppressed a laugh; "she always did have guts."  
  
"How's Sydney?" Will asked.  
  
"She's a mess," Vaughn flipped his pen in his hand. "But she'll be okay, eventually."  
  
"Tell Sydney, I'll talk to her later," Will stood. "I have to prepare a briefing for this afternoon."  
  
"Yeah sure," he nodded to Will and began picking up the discarded files. Marshall and Carrie wandered off a few moments later and slowly the office began to return to normal. Finally he turned to Weiss who had remained rather quiet during the entire ordeal. "Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?" Weiss had returned to playing with his yo-yo.  
  
"Well, you knew Kathryn pretty well." his voice trailed off as he looked over at Eric.  
  
"What are you getting at Mike?" he glanced at Vaughn obviously irritated.  
  
He shrugged. "You knew Kathryn better than anyone. You knew her better than Sydney."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean? You know what Mike, she's dead and yeah that sucks, that sucks a lot. She'd been through too much, and she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to die like this."  
  
"Weiss-"  
  
"Just forget it,' Weiss stood and grabbed his coat. "I'll be back later."  
  
Vaughn watched him walk away unsure of what to think of his friends actions. He was hurting even if he didn't want to admit it.  
  
Sydney approached his desk; "we're leaving now. I'll call you when we know for sure."  
  
Vaughn stood and hugged her tightly. "I'll be here when you get back, what ever you need."  
  
"Thanks," she said tearfully. "Vaughn, I love you."  
  
"I love you too," he hugged her and kissed her once more before watching her and her father walk out the door.  
  
Hours later he received her call. Everything was true.  
  
Kathryn Sullivan had been murdered with a single gun shot wound to her temple. 


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

Redemption 

Chapter Twenty Five

Sydney had finally managed to fall asleep. She was trying to be brave, to be strong but she was exhausted and Jack was glad that she'd drifted off. He tucked a blanket around her sleeping figure and stood crossing the small plane alley to pour himself a drink. In truth it wasn't only for his sake that he was glad she'd fallen asleep but for his own selfish reasons as well. He couldn't look at her face. He couldn't look at her red swollen eyes as she struggled to control herself and not hate himself. It was his fault Kathryn was dead. She was his responsibility and he'd failed her. Failed Sydney, failed himself. 

They would be landing in Los Angeles in several hours. Preparations would be made; he'd promised Sydney that he would handle all the funeral arrangements. It was the least he could do. He wasn't even sure that he would attend her funeral and told Sydney as such. She was his daughter yes, but he had no right to be there. Sydney had begged him and he relented. It was the least he could do. He didn't deserve her. Despite all the times he'd let her down, she was still there. 

He'd been absent most of her life growing up. He'd wanted to keep her away from his life. It had caused irreparable damage to their relationship. The lies and deceit had spun a web so thick; he'd once thought nothing could break it. When Sydney had found out that he was CIA it had almost been a relief. He knew that there were things between them that could never be repaired but since she'd learned the truth they'd been able to forge a relationship of some kind. As chaotic as it was, it was deeply satisfying. He'd only wish he'd gotten the chance to know his other daughter better.

Kathryn was far more complicated. They'd butted heads several times, their pride and stubbornness getting in the way. It was fair to say that he hadn't exactly earned her trust. It was difficult to earn her trust but he'd always had her best interests at heart for her sake, for Sydney's sake. Taking his scotch he sat back down and slowly sipped it allowing the amber liquid to consume his senses.

~~~

Sydney woke with a start, she gasped for breath. Recognizing her surroundings she calmed down. She'd been dreaming about Kathryn, seeing her face over and over again as that man had pulled the trigger ending her life. It was hard to believe that she was gone. Sydney half expected her to pop out of the bathroom complaining about Jack being on her case again or about Kendall being a pain in the ass. But she wouldn't come walking out of that bathroom. She wouldn't be at home or at the office. She was gone and nothing could change that.

Sydney would never get the chance to really know her sister. It wasn't her fault that Kathryn had been taken but she still felt responsible. If she'd told her father about Kathryn's history before it might not have changed a thing. Kathryn would have never committed to living in witness protection. She'd made it perfectly clear. She'd grown up in a prison and she wouldn't abide living in one for the rest of her life despite the consequences. 

Her father sat across from her, she almost smiled. He was asleep. What a rare occasion to find Jack Bristow sleeping. Standing up she removed the glass of scotch from his fingertips and tucked the blanket around her father. She grabbed her purse and made her way to bathroom. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she dialed a phone number. She needed to speak to Vaughn, just to hear his reassuring voice.

~~~

He couldn't handle it anymore. He was supposed to be the happy one. The ever-smiling wise cracking Eric Weiss, the one everyone looked to for a good laugh but what they didn't know was that he was human too.

He didn't look at it as a burden to know her life, it was hard yes but it wasn't a burden. That's not how it felt to him, to other people it might have been a burden but not to him. He knew more than anyone did and still he wondered why she'd chosen him. What made him so special? His knowledge of her life hadn't ended when the meetings with Kendall and Lindsey were finished. She talked to him in confidence told him everything and nothing all at the same time. Maybe that was why it hurt so much; to loose her. She was the only one who saw him for what he really was. His best friend didn't even see him that way. She saw him as a friend. And with him, she could be herself. She didn't have to be brave, or strong, or the girl who kept everything hidden behind carefully constructed barriers. She could let her guard down and be truthful.

He sat on the bench above the ocean cliffs. It was their place. He'd taken her here many times over the past two months. After every session with Kendall and Lindsey, this is where he'd brought her allowing her time to compose herself, to rid the horrible memories from her thoughts before returning to the real world. He could still remember the first time he'd brought her here, after her first meeting with Kendall and Lindsey. In truth maybe he'd needed it more than she had.

__

"This isn't the way back to Sydney's," she'd looked at him confused almost distrustful. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He kept his eyes on the road and she let out a soft sigh leaning her head against the window. She was exhausted her eyes briefly closed several times but she opened them refusing to give in.

He stopped the car near the edge and got out. Wordlessly she followed him. 

"It's pretty," she said softly sitting next to him on the bench. "Why are we here?"

"I like to come here when I need to unwind," he stared straight ahead and pulled a yo-yo out of his pocket.

"Oh," was all she said. She tucked her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.

"I know it's been said before but I just wanted to remind you that whatever is said in those meetings with Kendall and Lindsey stays between us."

"Thanks."

He looked sideways at her seeing her discretely wipe the tears from her eyes. He'd watched her in the meeting with Kendall and Lindsey. Not once had she cried. Not when telling them about her mothers supposed death, the first time she'd been abused or how her son had died during childbirth. What little he knew of Irina Derevko it certainly was clear that Kathryn was her mother's daughter. It was also clear that she was her father's daughter as well. "You're allowed to cry you know," he pulled another yo-yo from his pocket and handed it to her. 

"I'm fine," she stared straight ahead at the distant ocean and looped the yo-yo around her finger.

He'd left it at that and they sat in silence. 

"Why do they have to ask those questions?" she'd asked finally her eyes filling with tears. 

"They think that if they know everything about you that they will discover what The Contessa is and why The Covenant is after it, is after you."

"No really," she said sarcastically. "I'm sorry," she said after a few moments. "Everything is just all mixed up and upside down, sometimes, I don't even know what's real anymore."

"It's cool," he shrugged. Slowly he inched over to her and awkwardly slipped his arm around her shoulders. She tried desperately not to cry. He could feel her body shaking under his arm as she tried to control herself, but eventually she lowered her head to his shoulder allowing her tears to flow freely. No words were necessary. 

She cried silently until she had nothing left to give but tiny gasps for air and hiccup here and there. After a while she stood walking to the edge of the cliff and standing up on the barrier. "Why do you come here?" she asked.

Weiss pocketed the yo-yos and stood next to her. He looked down watching the waves crash over the rocks beneath. "I had an older brother, he was four years older than me. He was a great guy," Weiss smiled wistfully and turned leaning against the barrier before continuing. "When I was in high school, and he was in his second year of college he started going through a rough time. He lived away from home and we didn't know. We didn't know until it was too late. He committed suicide, jumped off the cliff right here."

"I'm sorry," her voice was sincere and slowly she slipped her hand into his.

"I come here when I need to remind myself that there are good guys in this world, that not everyone is bad and the good do out number the bad." He locked eyes with her. "'Shiner, I come here when I need to remember that life is worth living."

She understood his words. No further explanation was necessary and silently they walked back to the car.

That had been the first time he'd brought her. After that, it was ritualistic. He was her buddy. Picking her up, dropping her off attending every session she had with Kendall and Lindsey. Some days were better than others. She remained cold and unfeeling until he brought her to the cliffs and slowly she began to unwind. He remembered the exact time she'd told him about her son. He understood why they'd lied about his death, afraid the CIA would track him down, investigate his parents and he would be put in danger. It was much simpler, much easier to say that he had died. After all, that's what was listed in her medical records. She told him more than anyone, confessing her fears, hopes and dreams. How she was afraid to tell Sydney about her life, afraid that she wouldn't look at her the same way again. She even rambled on about Jack and what a stubborn, cold, unfeeling, pain in the ass he was. Weiss laughed out loud thinking about it; Kathryn and Jack were exactly alike.

Their personalities were exactly alike. The mission to Spain had only confirmed it. Kathryn was flawless. She'd never lost her cool the entire night. She'd clearly impressed Agent MacGyver, Sydney, Kendall, Dixon, himself and even though he wouldn't admit it---she'd impressed Jack as well. She would have been a great agent, had she been given the chance. He smiled now thinking about it remembering the words she'd said before they left the hotel room. 

__

'The first thing you need to learn 'Daddy' is that teenage girls love to make an entrance."

Jack had been speechless and she'd loved every moment of it. Eric just laughed.

Then there were the dreams.

For nearly three weeks he'd slept in the chair beside her bed while Sydney was gone. Every night she protested but not really. They both knew full well that she slept better when he was there. When he held her hand all night long, the nightmares weren't as bad, she didn't wake up physically sick as much. He could calm her she woke, held her hair back when she was sick and hold her in his arms until she could breath again. And finally hold her hand, until exhausted she fell back asleep once more. 

It had taken a toll on him. He began to hear her screams in his dreams at night. She consumed his thoughts and he found himself going to the cliffs more and more often without her to rid himself of her pain. But still he stayed with her, willingly, because she'd asked him to, because she trusted him. He'd become her confidant. But for him it was different. She treated him differently. Mike was his best friend but he found himself being able to tell her things he could never tell Mike. He'd never told Mike about his brother; never told anyone he worked with about his brother. There was an unspoken trust between them. But maybe it had gone too far; maybe he'd become too involved in her life. Maybe that was why it was so hard to believe that she was really gone. But she was. Jack and Sydney had returned from Rome and they'd brought her with them. 'Shiner would never sit on the bench with him again. She'd never ask him to teach her a new yo-yo trick or plan a practical joke again. She was gone, she was dead.

The sun was setting low as he stood and slowly walked back to his car but he stopped and turned back to the ocean. He withdrew a yo-yo from his pocket, he'd bought it especially for her, but he'd never gotten the chance to give it to her. It was a rare find. Hot pink. Pink was Kathryn's favorite color. He bounced it several times before hesitantly raising his arm and hurtling it into the ocean. He watched it fall for seconds until he could no longer see it and then turned back to the car wiping the tears from his eyes. Tomorrow was her funeral. She hadn't deserved to die, not after everything she'd been through to survive. She didn't deserve to die like this and he vowed that her death would not be in vain. 


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

A/N Thank you to my faithful reviewers AnnaSun & Kathryn, it really means a lot to me that you read and take the time to review every chapter, so this chapter is dedicated to you!

Redemption   
Chapter Twenty Six

The sun shone brightly in the early afternoon. It was warm but a cool breeze kept the air unsettled and it reminded her of the time she'd taken her daughter to the beach.

__

"Make another one Mommy, make another one," five-year-old Katy clapped her hands excitedly as she watched her mother fill the bucket with wet sand. 

Irina had just laughed and obeyed her commands relishing in the simplicity of the day, so like any other. Her daughter had the intent of making the most elaborate castle village she'd ever seen, of course there seemed to be more sand on her than in the village of castles but she'd take it in stride. It was too cold to go in the water so they'd sat dressed in sweaters and pants rolled up to their knees on the beach of the Jersey shore building dozens of castles. Some were only mere mounds of sand with a stick stuck in the top but others had bridges and moats and pretend horses in a pen out back. Suddenly Kathryn had burst into tears.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked hugging her daughter.

Katy pointed to the edge of the village. She'd insisted on building the village too close to the water and the rising tide was intent on demolishing it. 

"It's okay." She'd taken her daughter in her arms holding her close and they'd sat on the blanket far away from the shoreline. "The tide is taking your village out to sea," she glanced down at her daughter seeing her lower lip trembling, a painful reminder of Sydney. "Look," she pointed to the village at their disappearing footprints. "It's taking our footprints out to sea too, so they can swim with the dolphins."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Mommy, some day can we swim with the dolphins?"

"Sure, some day." And they'd sat there watching the tide wash away all remnants of their afternoon pleasure.

"Mama, I'm cold. Can we go home now?" She'd glanced down at her daughter some time later seeing her tired eyes and chattering teeth.

"Yeah, time to go home," she agreed lifting the tired little girl into her arms and grabbing the bag with her toys they made their way back to the car.

"Can we come back again tomorrow?" Katy asked as she was being buckled into her booster seat.

"Not tomorrow, but soon."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She'd never kept that promise. The next day she was on a plane bound for Germany and her daughter lay in critical condition in the ICU at a children's Hospital in Manhattan fighting for her life.

It was never supposed to turn out like this. She was supposed to disappear. Her daughter was supposed to have been adopted by a nice caring couple who wanted children and could give her a safe and secure life. She was never supposed to become a ward of the state. She was supposed to have had a good life far away from all the danger that being Irina Derevko's daughter had brought. She was never supposed to end up in the hands of David Caldwell or the countless others who had betrayed her trust and destroyed her life. Kathryn was never supposed to have been at the variety store that night. She was supposed to have been home safe and sound in bed with the blankets tucked in around her and Sophie cradled in her arms. 

There were so many things that were never supposed to happen.

She was never supposed to have Sydney. Leaving Sydney at the time had been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do. She was never supposed to have Kathryn. Selfishly she'd thought that another child might redeem her and she'd missed Sydney so desperately so she'd kept the baby, the alternative would have been so easy. She'd ignored the signs until it was impossible to do so and her stomach began to swell and the baby began to kick; good strong kicks. There was nothing she could do except lie and she told her former lover that she was pregnant with his child. She had to lie. She had to deceive. If she didn't, her life would be in danger, her unborn child's, Sydney's and Jacks as well. What she did regret was deceiving her daughter and depriving her of the father she would never have the chance to know. Leaving Kathryn was worse. The image of her five-year-old daughter bleeding to death was something she could not easily forget, she would never be able to forget even after she knew Kathryn had recovered. She'd left Kathryn with no one to care for her. If she'd been able to tell Jack, things would have been so very different. If she'd been able to leave Kathryn with Jack, at least her daughter would have been safe and she would have grown up in a very different world with one parent who cared for her and the semblance of a childhood she'd never been able to have. But she hadn't known that Kathryn was living in danger and she'd done what she had to do to protect her daughter, or so she thought.

Now it all seemed so pointless.

Kathryn had nothing but contempt for her. She'd never been told as much but it was evident in Sydney's voice that day at the ice rink. Kathryn had every reason to hate her. She had every right to hate her. Irina had made many mistakes where her second daughter was concerned but oddly enough she had very few regrets. If she hadn't taken her away from Russia, away from the KGB, away from the danger, her daughter would have most likely died many years before. Irina had intended on telling Sydney about her sister but there was never a right time. Even when she was in custody, she was afraid the CIA would use Kathryn against her and it wouldn't have been fair to her daughter. Very few regrets and it saddened her to think of this. 

Jack had contacted her, told her to meet him in Rome, given her the address. It was raining and she'd waited in her car until she saw him. "Let's take a walk," he'd said and curiously she glanced at his car seeing Sydney in the passenger seat. He'd held out his umbrella and she'd taken his arm as they walked down the empty waterfront docks. It was then that she realized what had happened. Jack would never have risked meeting her unless it was that important and he'd brought Sydney. He'd risked their freedom to meet her to tell her that her daughter was dead. She hadn't said anything at first, hadn't wanted to believe his words. But one look in his eyes told her he was telling the truth. She walked away without saying a word and gotten into her car soaked from the pounding rain. She could see Jack's face in her review mirror as she drove away blinking back tears.

It was his face that led her to where she was today. Sitting in a darkened sedan watching her daughter's funeral from a distance. It seemed fitting that she was where she always was. Watching both her daughters lives from a distance, both of them oblivious to her presence. 

~~~

Sydney slowly slipped her hand in her fathers. He looked to her, a reassuring smile and quick squeeze. She wiped her eyes with a tissue and stood. She tucked a stray lock of wind blown hair behind her ear and turned to face the crowd and spoke of the sister she barely knew. 

"I didn't know Kathryn for very long, I wish I could have known her better, she was the little sister I always wanted. She deserved a lot more than what she got in her life but she never complained. She was one of the most stubborn people I have ever met and the strongest and she…she never gave up…….." Sydney wiped her eyes and looked over to Vaughn

He'd been wonderful to her since she returned from Rome. He was always wonderful to her. Weiss sat on his left. He had been unusually quiet. He cracked a few lame jokes that morning in an attempt to elevate some of the stress, but she could tell that her sister's death was affecting him more than he let on. Will and Amy were there as well. Marshall and Carrie sat several rows back and Dixon behind them. It was a very small ceremony consisting mostly of CIA agents from the JTF and Langley. Some had brought their spouses. There was no one else to come to her funeral. Aside from CIA, Kathryn didn't have any friends. There was one surprise though; Kendall had shown up with Dr. Barnette at his side. Kathryn had been right after all- he did have the hots for the Doc. 

Weiss sat beside Vaughn listening to Sydney speak of her sister. It was hard to sit there and listen. Around him men, women, dabbed their eyes with Kleenex's, held trembling hands, and swallowed the lumps in their throats. Many were there just out of politeness to Jack and Sydney, very few were really friends of hers. 

Sitting here made it all seem so real.

It was a nice ceremony, Kathryn would have approved. It was warm and sunny; not too many people, not too many tears. An ivory casket sat ready to be lowered in to the ground and dozens of white roses placed on top of the casket; white roses were her favorite.

Vaughn poked him and Weiss looked up seeing that Sydney had sat down. He stood. Sydney had asked him to speak today. He'd refused at first, funerals were not his thing, not that they were anyone's thing but she'd asked him again and reluctantly he'd agreed. So there he was standing before the small crowd struggling to find the words.

"I like to think I knew Kat pretty well. Some might say I knew her better than most but with Kat, you always knew there was more to the story and something tells me that I didn't know her at all. She thought up the greatest practical jokes," he glanced over at Kendall and almost thought he saw him smile. "She had the guts to carry them out and wasn't afraid of getting caught, not a lot of people could do that." He looked down at his hands really unsure of what to say. "What many people didn't know about Kat is what a caring person she was. It didn't matter how she was feeling, whether she was sick or just had the day from hell, she always paid particular attention to everyone else, always asked how they were and she wasn't just asking, she really cared. It didn't matter how bad she was feeling; she always made you feel better. The first time I met her, she gave me a black eye and the next time I saw her she was handing me an icepack which she definitely needed more than I did. When Syd asked me to speak here today, at first I said no. I didn't think I knew her well enough or would be able find the words to say what a great, amazing, special person Kat was. Then I realized that I didn't have to say it because we all already knew. What I do know about Kathryn is that she was one of the bravest people I'd ever met. She faced a lot of challenges in her life, in the past and recently and she faced them all head on. No fear. She never backed away. She fought for what she wanted. She deserved a lot more than what she got. The one thing I do know about her is that she wouldn't want us to be sad, she'd probably kick our asses for it, but she'd understand. If she were here she'd say something like 'you've got the rest of your life to mourn—go party!' so don't cry for her, celebrate her life." He shrugged having nothing more to say. Jack stood and shook his hand as Eric sat down. 

Jack didn't say anything; he only crouched beside the grave and slowly turned the crank lowering her casket into the ground. Sydney had asked him to speak, but he'd refused. He didn't know Kathryn and didn't feel he had the right to speak at her funeral regardless of the fact that he was her father. Finally the resistance stopped and he stopped turning. He stood dusting off his hands on his black pants. Sydney stood beside him and took his hand letting the white roses fall from her hand and tumble far below onto the ivory surface. Jack raised his arm to her shoulders and she leaned into him placing her head on his shoulder as they watched dozens and dozens of more white roses fall blanketing the ivory casket as the mourners walked back to their cars.

Sydney turned to her father and hugged him. He kissed the top of her forehead. "Will you be alright?" she asked.

"I'll be fine sweetheart," he smiled reassuringly and hugged her again.

"I'll see you at the house then," She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek before walking to Vaughn who stood outside his car. 

"Hey," he held out his arms to her and she melted against him relishing in the feel of being in his arms. "How's your dad holding up?" he asked. 

She kept her face hidden in the collar of his jacket; "he's dealing."

"Should we wait for him?" he asked as Sydney pulled away.

She looked to her father and then turned back to Vaughn and then shook her head. "He said he'd meet us there, he just wants some time first." Vaughn held the door open for her and she slipped inside the black limo that would take her back to her house, to Kathryn's wake.

Jack squatted down beside the unfilled grave releasing the last handful of white roses. The cemetery attendants had placed her headstone next to the grave and he reached over running his fingers over the letters.

Kathryn Anne Sullivan  
July 19, 1986 – April 9, 2003

"Rest Now Where Angels Soar"

He had no words, nothing to say and slowly he stood and walked out of the empty cemetery.

Irina watched as Jack got into his car and drove away. He looked older than she remembered. She hadn't seen him in nearly a year though regardless of that he didn't look anywhere near that of his fifty-four years. She waited until several minutes after his car drove away before she adjusted her blond wig and sunglasses and stepped out of her car. The cemetery attendants were packing up the folding chairs but left immediately as she approached the gravesite. They'd already filled in the hole and placed the headstone in the appropriate place. Sydney had picked it out, she knew instantly seeing the small angel statue its tiny hands reaching up towards the sky. She crouched down placing the bouquet of blue roses against the headstone. "Hello sweetheart," she whispered her eyes instantly filling with tears; tears that she would not let spill. "I've missed you so much. Thought about you every day since I had to go away. I always wondered what you'd be like when you were older. But I knew you'd be strong and brave, I'm so proud of you." Irina knew she couldn't stay more than a few minutes and she stood. "I love you Katy, I'll come back to see you again soon."

She walked back to the car blinking the tears from her eyes. Her cell phone rang as she got in and she held it to her ear, "hello."

"Hello Irina," she recognized his voice instantly. "I have some information you may find interesting."

"I'm listening."

"It appears the details of your daughters death have been rather exaggerated."

The tone of her voice never changed but her eyes glazed over. "You have my attention Mr. Sark."

~~~

He couldn't stand seeing their faces anymore and heading into Sydney's kitchen he opened her liquor cabinet and poured himself a scotch. He downed it instantly and poured another.

"Dad are you alright?" Sydney's voice startled him and he nearly dropped the glass.

"Yes Sydney I'm fine," he said keeping his back to her. "I'll be out in a moment."

"Alright," she backed out of the kitchen and joined the others in living room, immediately going to Carrie who couldn't stop crying, and being nine months pregnant didn't help matters.

Jack emptied the glass quickly and then left the kitchen to join the others. As he made his way over to Dixon his cell phone rang. "Bristow?"

"Our daughter's alive."

Jack remained silent for a few moments as he made a beeline for the door. He stepped out into the bright sunshine squinting at the sudden contrast. 

"Did you hear me? I said our daughter is alive."

He could only utter two words. "I know."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N   
Okay Okay Okay, please don't kill me!!!!! It was all part of my grand scheme! Now please hit that little purple button and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Feedback is a fanfic writers best friend!!!!!  
Thanks for reading


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

A/N

Thanks everyone for all their reviews!!!!  
**Rai:** Poor Weiss is right hunh!  
**Natalie:** Sorry I love to write cliffhangers, yet I hate to read them. But alas its so much fun!

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Kathryn: You guessed it! Update Reaper soon and Hideaway and well all of them!!!! Pretty Please with a cherry on top?

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AnnaSun: Me thinks Anna missed the bit on the end of the last chapter so I recapped lol Enjoy and as always thanks for all the reviews!!!

Recap:  
Jack remained silent for a few moments as he made a beeline for the door. He stepped out into the bright sunshine squinting at the sudden contrast.   
  
"Did you hear me? I said our daughter is alive."  
  
He could only utter two words. "I know."

Redemption 

Chapter 27

TWO DAYS EARLIER

__

Just keep going, just keep going

Kat repeated over and over in her mind as she ran down the long hallways her bare feet smacking against the cold cement with every step she took. She could hear the guards running behind her; they were getting close. Rounding another corner she spotted a good hiding spot and she slipped the gun she'd swiped from one of the guards in the waistband of her pants. Her fingers scraped against the concrete as she tried to climb up onto the ledge. She was unable to grip the wall and fell back landing hard on her side. Her body screamed in pain as she tried to get up, and her lungs felt like they would burst, she couldn't seem to get enough air. She stumbled and reached out to grab the wall feeling like she would pass out. They hadn't given her, her shot that day and if she did pass out, it would be all over and she couldn't. She had to focus. It was the only way she could get out of this alive. She tried again and this time managed to pull herself up onto the narrow ledge. She lay still holding her breath as the guards ran past and then slowly let it out. She lay on the ledge for some time trying to gain control of her breathing. 

She'd lost track of the days. Had it been three or four days now, she wasn't sure, but then again it could have been longer than that. After her argument with Jack she'd left the JTF and unable to think clearly she began walking without paying any attention to where she was going. It didn't matter where she went, she just needed to get away; needed to clear her head and to concentrate and to think. But it wasn't easy. All that was going through her mind was what he had said to her. He was her father. There must have been some kind of mistake, he couldn't be her father, it just wasn't possible. Her vision blurred with tears and completely distracted she hadn't noticed that someone was following her until it was too late. She'd been walking down a side street when she'd felt this sharp stabbing pain in her back and turning around she saw a man pointing a tranq gun at her. There was nothing she could do and slowly she fell to the ground and lost consciousness. 

When she'd come to she was on a plane. They'd taken her to Mexico City first and then a small plane somewhere else. She'd been brought to a room at the end of a long hallway. She tried to run but the guard tackled her to the ground and injected her with something, truth serum, she decided later as it made her legs weak and numb and she couldn't walk. She was hooked up to a lie detector machine and asked questions. Over and over again they asked her about The Contessa and over and over again she gave the same responses. The guard had tried beating it out of her, but his efforts were futile, it didn't matter how much he hurt her, how much he slapped her or kicked her or hit her, she never said a word. After all what could she say. Finally he stopped; she barely had time to catch her breath before they injected her with something else and she blacked out once more. 

Kathryn woke several hours later her arms and legs strapped to the metal table she lay on. The guard unstrapped her and dragged her over to another man whom she could only guess was in charge. She recognized him. He was one of the men who had tried to grab her at the safehouse. He was the one who'd broken her arm and then gotten away. When he pointed the gun at her, he called her Katarina, she felt the coolness of the steel against her skin, she knew she was going to die. He pulled the trigger and she remembered nothing after that. 

Hours later she woke. She thought at first she was dead but the guard quickly confirmed that she wasn't. How was that possible? He'd put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger, she'd felt the pain and her hair was covered in dried blood. The guard just laughed at her, taunting her until the man who called her Katarina came back. He sat her in a chair handcuffed her hands behind her back and faced her. They stared at each other for a long time both silent not saying anything. By this time she was shaking violently and she could barely keep her eyes open. The effects of the different drugs they'd given her along with her low blood sugar were making it difficult to stay awake. Sometime later a few guards came and uncuffed her, they were careless and she used it to her advantage. She took the first guard down easily with a simple drop kick. The second and third proved to be more difficult and she managed to get a hold of one of their tranq guns and shoot each one. This all led her to where she was now; lying on the ledge hiding from the men who would probably kill her first chance they got.

She couldn't hear the guards anymore and carefully she slipped off the ledge moving down to the end of the long corridor she spotted an air vent and made a beeline for it. She had almost gotten the top off when she heard the sound of a gun being cocked behind her and she froze.

"Agent Bristow, I'm surprised to see you here," a man took a few steps towards her, his accent was crisp, his footsteps light. "Drop your weapon, stand, and kick it back."

Defeated, Kathryn obeyed his orders and set the tranq gun on the floor beside her. She stood slowly stumbling slightly as a wave of dizziness swept over her but she stood her ground reaching out for the wall to steady herself and then kicked the gun back. She stood still, her back to him, hands down at her sides.

Sark cautiously walked towards her keeping his gun on her. He picked up hers and slipped it into his pocket. He raised an eyebrow as he walked towards her, prepared to fight her but she made no move. What was she up to? Why was Sydney Bristow espionage agent extraordinaire surrendering without cause? He was still a good ten feet away from her when he realized there was something different. "Sydney?"

Kat remained silent as he approached her. 

He stopped several feet away. She barely came up to his shoulder, her entire body structure was smaller and she certainly made no recognition of him, but he'd seen her face on the security camera, or he'd seen Sydney's face on the security camera. Roughly he grabbed her arm and turned her around taking in her bruised and bloodied face. Her entire face was covered in a gleam of cold sweat, her eyes were tired-she had trouble keeping them open and he could see that she was shaking even struggling just to stand, "you're not Sydney. Who the hell are you?"

"I could ask you the same question," she decided to play it cool.

"You're just a child," he determined that she couldn't be any older than thirteen or fourteen and gripped her arm even tighter now and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. "What are you doing here?"

"And that makes you like what, twelve?" She winced as he pulled her towards him, her shoulder aching. "You don't have to pull so hard I don't-" she didn't get the words out as a wave of dizziness passed over her and she fell to the ground unconscious.

Sark nudged her with his foot a few times before he was satisfied that she was either unconscious or dead. He pocketed his gun and crouched down beside her. She had a pulse but she was covered in a cold sweat. There was clearly something wrong with her. He couldn't just leave her there. "Bloody hell," he sighed and lifted her into his arms. She was surprisingly light he noted as he made his way down the endless corridor back to the security room.

He could hear Melnikov before he saw him. His thick Russian accent shouting orders at the guards; he had his back to him.

"Have you lost something?" Sark asked.

"Ah Mr. Sark, I'm sorry to keep you wait---." Melnikov slowly turned and then seeing that Sark had his captive he walked over to him. "Knocked her out?"

Sark shook his head; "she passed out on her own. What's wrong with her?"

"Other than being a royal pain in the ass…," Melnikov reached into his pocket and pulled out a vile. He unscrewed it and passed it under her nose several times. Sark turned away from the wretched smell. She jerked to alertness managing to get one well placed kick in the general direction of Melnikov's groin before Sark put her down and the guard jerked her arms behind her back holding her still.

Sark stood back and watched as Melnikov slapped her hard across her face. Her head hung limply for a moment stunned by the sudden harsh blow before she raised it staring at him defiantly; blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Sark had to admire her courage, her defiance. Melnikov gripped her chin in his hands. "Stop beating up my men."

Her response was well directed. She got leverage and spat in his face.

Sark smirked as he watched Melnikov step back from her and quickly wipe his face; he'd never been fond of the guy. "Take her," he nodded to the guard. 

The guard pulled Kathryn back but she lifted her elbow and nailed him right at the base of his throat. He let her go and grasped at his throat unable to breathe. Kat used this to her advantage and kicked Melnikov in the knee. He went down quickly and she flew past him. She'd almost reached the end of the hallway by the time Sark got to her.

"Stop kicking me," Sark grimaced as she nailed him in the shin but he kept his grip on her and dragged her back to Melnikov. He passed her over to two guards, one of which immediately placed his gun to her head and she stilled locking eyes with him.

"Take her," Melnikov pointed to one of the rooms down the hall. 

Sark reached his hand out cupping her cheek slightly. "It's been a pleasure." He thumbed away the traces of blood from her lower lip. "Perhaps we will meet again some time."

"In your dreams," she snarled as the guards drug her to the room Melnikov had indicated. 

"She's quite the…..handful," Sark commented following Melnikov down the hall. They entered the room beside Kathryn's which turned out to be a two-way mirror.

"Putting it mildly, damn bitch," he rubbed his knee grimacing.

Sark nearly laughed at the way the words sounded coming through in his thick Russian accent. Melnikov was a weak little bastard who was only a pawn in his employer's game; whomever his employer was. 

"Who is she?" Sark pretended to be mildly curious as he leaned casually against the glass and glanced at the young girl who was handcuffed to a wooden chair. She looked like Sydney, surely too old to be her daughter but clearly close enough to be her sister. But surely if Sydney had a sister he'd have known about her. He'd worked for Irina for many years. She seemed familiar somehow but he was sure he'd never seen her before. One of the guards entered holding a syringe. He approached her and tried to get a grip on her arm but she pulled away screaming.

"Kathryn Sullivan," Melnikov sighed and leaned over and pressed the intercom button. "Stop fighting him, you know you need the injection."

Sark watched as the girl finally relented and allowed the guard to give her the needle. "What is it?" he asked.

"Insulin—she's rather uncooperative after missing a few doses. A good strong one will straighten her out."

"I've heard her name mentioned, but I can't seem to recall why. What is it that she knows?"

"Wouldn't we all like to know," Melnikov looked almost wistful as he walked towards the end of the window to watch from a better angle. "The Covenant took her several months ago, eventually she ended up in CIA custody."

"And you took her back. Why do you have her?" She was much calmer now, he noted. The medication had obviously taken effect; she seemed more alert, had stopped shivering and had more energy as she struggled against her constraints. 

Sark wasn't sure whether Melnikov would take the bait. If he did, he was a bloody fool. 

He took the bait.

"My employer, like The Covenant wants to know about The Contessa. She, it seems is the only one who knows what it is, though she pretends she doesn't."

"How are you so sure that she does know?

"She knows," Melnikov stated eyeing her. "She passed the lie detector test when we first took her, I'd hoped she would remember through force. She failed the one she took yesterday. Between then and now—she knows. Now we'll finally get some answers."

Sark looked to the door raising an eyebrow as The Dentist a man affectionately known to most as Suit and Glasses walked in. Kathryn looked at him as well. Sark saw the look in her eyes, she was terrified, she knew who he was. 

As the dentist approached her Kathryn's eyes widened and she swallowed hard. She knew exactly who he was Sydney had told her about him when she told her the story of how she joined the CIA.

"We never got to meet last time," he pulled a chair over and sat in front of her, he cupped her cheek in his hand. "Such a young, pretty face." 

"Gee, I'm heartbroken," she said sweetly. "Shouldn't you be in a wheelchair?"

"And smart too," he grinned pulling back from her. "Perhaps too smart for her own good?"

"Hardly. Anyone ever told you, you look like an owl with those glasses? I mean come on, gold glasses went out with the last century-"

"There are two ways we can do this, the easy way or the more difficult, much more painful way," he cut her off opened his case showing her the tools. Two of the guards approached her and latched their hands onto her body to hold her still. "Tell me Kathryn, what is The Contessa?"

The force of the men holding her down, pressing against her damaged ribs and aching face brought tears to her eyes and she swallowed hard eliciting a small cry from the back of her throat. She managed to shake her head as the tears fell freely down her face. It was clear that she was in a great deal of pain from the anguish on her face. "I can't," she shook her head.

"Yes you can," he coaxed her gently. "Tell me, where it is."

"No," her words came out broken as she struggled to maintain control. "You don't understand, I don't know what it is, I don't know where it is. I don't know what the stupid Contessa is. Why won't you believe me? I don't know anything."

"Then I'm afraid we're going to have to do this the hard way."

Her eyes darted to the table watching him as he picked up one of his instruments and held it near her mouth. "Wait, I'll tell you, do you have a pen?"

The Dentist pulled one out of his pocket along with a pad of paper. In the small room with the two-way mirror, Melnikov did the same. Sark glanced over at him; he looked about ready to jump right through the glass. He could see a hint of a smile on the girl's face and wondered exactly what she was up to.

"U…S…E…O…W…C…Y…R," she watched him copy down the letters. "Rearrange them."

The Dentist glared at her in recognition of this trick after he'd unscrambled the letters. Kathryn grinned, the ploy that she was revealing information had only been for her own amusement. She'd learned that from her sister. On the other side of the two-way mirror, Melnikov scrambled to decode her message. 

"S C R E W Y O U."

Melnikov swore and threw down his pen down and Sark struggled to refrain from laughing out loud. The girl certainly knew all the right buttons to push. Her scream caught his attention and he looked back at her. She was struggling against the guards who held her still as the dentist began pulling her teeth.

Sark turned back to Melnikov; "shall we conclude our business?"

"Yes, of course," Melnikov nodded. "Do you have the disk?"

"Do you have the diamonds?"

Both men produced the desired trade item and after each confirmed that the item was authentic, Sark glanced back once more at Kathryn. The Dentist pulled three of her teeth now and all she could do was cry in tormented pain refusing to speak. She hadn't revealed any valuable information. She was stubborn and she was strong, but she was fading; she wouldn't be able to take much more. He left Melnikov's facility quickly with only two immediate goals. The first was to find out who Kathryn Sullivan was and to contact Derevko and the second was to find out what The Contessa was and why the forces of their business were working to find it.

~~~

There had been a sense of urgency in her voice. She'd tried to hide it of course but he heard it and as Vaughn drove towards the warehouse he couldn't help but wonder why Sydney had wanted him to meet her at the warehouse. They hadn't been to that warehouse in over a year, not since SD-6 was taken down and alliance had been disbanded and he found himself missing it As he drove into the underground parking he noticed a car in front of him and another following. He wasn't worried; he recognized the cars. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked seeing Marshall and Will step out of their cars.

"Sydney called, she wanted me to meet her," Will said confused and looked at Marshall who nodded in agreement. 

Vaughn shrugged but all three men turned when they heard another car approach. Weiss stepped out of his car confused to see the others there. "Syd called you too?" Vaughn asked as Eric closed the car door.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Sounded kinda urgent but she wasn't crying or anything," he hadn't seen her since Kathryn's wake the day before. 

Vaughn pulled open the large sliding door and they all walked into the warehouse. There was definitely something up, as they neared the chain linked area both Sydney and her father were in the enclosure deep in conversation. 

"Hey," she looked up as the four men entered the enclosure. "Thanks for coming. And Marshall thank you I know you've had a long couple of days, how's Carrie?"

Marshall was practically glowing with pride. "She's fine, tired and cranky but she came home from the hospital yesterday, the baby too."

"Congratulations, I can't wait to see her," she smiled and gave him a quick hug. Carrie had gone into labor shortly after Kathryn's funeral the day before and Marshall was now the proud Papa of a seven-pound six-ounce baby girl. 

"Syd what's going on?" Weiss interrupted.

"I know you're all wondering why you're here—it's difficult to explain—sit down," she gestured to the aluminum folding chairs surrounding the table and they all took their seats. "The reason we asked you guys to come is that we need your help, it's about Kathryn-"

"What about Kat?" Will asked.

"She's alive," Jack said calmly.

"What?" Weiss nearly shouted.

"That's not possible," Marshall shook his head. "Is it, I mean we all saw her in the video, she was there, they shot her--she was dead, she-the DNA test was a match, she-"

"I know what your thinking," Sydney sighed seeing their stunned faces. "I never lied to you. When we told you that Katy was gone, it was the truth." Her voice trembled slightly as she continued. "We went to Rome, identified her body and brought her home, I never lied to you about that. We thought she was dead." The four men remained silent allowing her to continue as they absorbed what she was saying. "The day before her funeral I went to the funeral home to bring her clothes and some things I wanted her to have when I noticed something strange."  
  
"What was it?" Vaughn asked.

"Her earrings, she wasn't wearing any of course but the guy he said he couldn't get the ones I gave him in, her holes were almost closed."

"And why is that strange?" Will asked.

"Because when they took her she was wearing earrings." She glanced up at their confused faces. "Katy had her ears pierced when she was three or four. It would take several months of not wearing earrings for her holes to close up. That girl hadn't had pierced ears for more than a week, the holes were still red and swollen. So I looked at her closer and I remembered her scar." Sydney pointed to a spot on the back of her neck just below her hairline. "She had a scar right here about two inches long. Her foster mother hit her with a broken beer bottle when she was eleven. That girl pretending to be my sister, she didn't have that scar."

"She was doubled wasn't she. Project Helix, just like Francie-" Will rubbed his eyes wearily as he processed everything Sydney had just told them.

"That is our first assumption," Jack spoke up. "As it stands, it's the only reason I can think of."

"You're sure it's not her?" Weiss said skeptically.

"Positive." Jack looked around the table at their expectant faces. "Yesterday I received Intel confirmation. As of two days ago, Kathryn was seen alive in the custody of a man named Viktor Melnikov in Moscow." He passed around a photograph of her abductor. "Former KGB and K-Directorate, and we have now confirmed that The Covenant is not responsible. For all intense purposes Melnikov wanted everyone to think she was dead, including The Covenant, K-Directorate, CIA, whoever knew of her existence and anyone who knew of her reappearance. Either he knows more about The Contessa than The Covenant or he's working with someone who does."

"Why not work through the agency?" Will asked curious as to why they'd all met in secret.

"The CIA wouldn't sanction a high risk extraction of a civilian based on the source of the Intel we've received."

"Well who'd it come from?" Marshall asked oblivious to the fact that the others had already guessed.

"Irina Derevko." 

"Oh."

"So we're going in to get her?" Weiss confirmed.

"If you'll help, yes," Sydney nodded. "We'll need to hire a few freelancers but if you're willing to come than we need you. We're just waiting on more Intel and the specs about where she's being held-"

"You don't even have to ask Syd," Will shook his head. "I'm in," he looked around at the others who nodded in agreement. "We're all in." 

"Thank you," she smiled briefly blinking back a few tears that were attempting to break their way through. "I'm sorry that we couldn't tell you yesterday before the funeral but there were probably people watching-"

"It was imperative that Melnikov, The Covenant, even the CIA continued to believe that we believe she was dead, for her own safety." Jack interrupted.

"Syd- it's okay," Weiss said uncertainty. "She's alive and that's all that matters. Now what's the plan?"

~~~

Light, sunlight. Kat could feel it on her face warming her cheek, pulling her out of the darkness of a restful slumber. She cracked open one eye and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 7:30, "too early," she sighed stretching in the comfortable bed before flopping over on her side. She was not met with comfort but with pain. She cried out touching her cheek gingerly as her body screamed out in protest. The realization hit her and she sat up abruptly. At first she'd thought she was home, at Sydney's but she wasn't. What had happened, she searched her memory trying to recall what had happened last.

She was trying to escape; she'd found an air vent and was almost inside when the guy had found her. Tall, blond, British, cocky, with those incredible blue eyes. He looked like a nice guy but she was almost certain he wasn't. He'd brought her back to Melnikov. Then the Dentist came. Gently she touched her jaw again remembering the painful experience. Then he'd given her something, and she'd passed out.

She looked around the room, it certainly didn't seem like she was in the same building. How long had she been sleeping? Hours? Days? She was in a bedroom. Her hands were free, her feet were free. She slept in the middle of a huge bed, the blankets kicked to her feet. She scooted to the edge and slid her legs over slowly standing up. She was wearing a long-sleeved, long, white nightgown and socks. Where had it come from? Who had dressed her. She was so confused, tired and hungry. She ran to the door, tried to open it but it was locked as she suspected.

She moved to the window and gazed out. It was barred with heavy black steel but she could see fields. She was in the countryside, in what looked to be a large old house. She pulled at the bars but they wouldn't budge and there were no buildings to be seen. 

She stood surveying the room. It was barren, save the tall bookcase filled with novels of all sorts. Peeling wallpaper tore at the corners of the room and heavy curtains hung from the canopy bed she'd slept in. She tried the dresser, all the drawers were empty and then the desk as well, but there was nothing. On the bedside table she noticed a tray of food. Scrambled eggs and toast and orange juice. It was still warm and she was starving, but she couldn't eat it; they might have done something to it. An oval mirror stood near the closet and she moved to it, now more confused than ever as she glanced at her reflection. Her mouth was still swollen and it ached, her face patterned with bruises and scrapes but she was clean. Someone had even washed her hair and cleaned the blood from her face, but who?

She heard footsteps in the hallway and ran to the door pressing her ear against it. She started backing away when she heard the key in the lock. She took small steps backwards as the door opened and the person finally came into view. At first she couldn't speak as she looked up at him but finally her lips managed to form the word.

"Papa?"


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

Redemption Chapter Twenty Eight  
  
"Papa?" Her eyes grew wide seeing the man before her. She inched back as he took several steps into the room. She reached the end of the bed and she could go no further.  
  
He took several more steps into the room until he was directly in front of her, close enough to touch, and he did. He reached out brushing the hair back from her face. His fingers trailed lightly down her cheek, cupping her cheek in his hand he brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. "Look at you," he said softly.  
  
She reached up pulling his hand away from her face staring at his palm running her fingers over it, feeling that it was real. "But you're- I saw him-He-"  
  
"I know," he wrapped his around her tucking her head under his chin and stroking her hair. She stood motionless her arms at her sides, tears sliding down her cheek.  
  
"Papa?" her voice quivered and she looked up at him.  
  
"Yes, it's me," he wiped her cheeks with the back of his hand and pulled her over to the bed. "Let's have a little talk, just you and Papa, hunh." Kat nodded and slid back onto the bed tucking her knees to chest.  
  
He knelt at her feet his hands lightly holding her waist; she glanced down curiously as his pressure increased. "Don't cry," he said and she nodded wiping her cheeks. "Now you wouldn't lie to Papa would you?"  
  
"No," she shook her head.  
  
"So you'll tell me the truth."  
  
"Yes Papa," she nodded.  
  
"Katarina, tell me, what is The Contessa."  
  
She looked at him in disbelief her lower lip trembled slightly. A movement near the door caught her attention and she looked up to see Viktor Melnikov in the doorway. "No," her voice was barely above a whisper as she looked back at him. "No, not you-"  
  
"Tell me the truth, be a good girl and tell Papa the truth"  
  
A strangled sob escaped her throat and she kicked him in the chest, hard. Doing a backward somersault she got over to the other side of the bed. She stood in the corner of the room; Melnikov started to approach her but her Papa held up his hand signaling him to stand back. He stood and walked to the other side of the room. She tried to fight him but she couldn't; she'd given up. He squeezed her arms and shook her hard, "Stop." She stilled obeying his command. "I want you to think about what I asked you." He touched her face again and she tried to pull away but there was no where to go. "Get dressed, eat your breakfast and think. When you're done Viktor will bring you to see me and we'll have another talk. Do you understand?"  
  
She said nothing but looked at him and swallowed hard noticing something she hadn't seen before. She didn't see the warm caring eyes of her Papa, what she saw were the cold and menacing eyes of Petrov Khasinau. He turned away from her; he did not see the tears in her eyes as she came to the realization that he was not who he pretended to be all those years before. He was merely another player in a game she did not understand. As she watched the two men walk out of the room Kat sank to the floor in complete defeat, maybe she should just tell them what she knew. What harm could it do?  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"You think she'll talk if you treat her well?" Viktor asked his employer in disbelief, he'd resorted to trying everything except shock therapy but still she hadn't given him an answer.  
  
Petrov Khasinau turned to face him. "If not, we have other options."  
  
Viktor eyed the older man but didn't ask of his methods.  
  
Khasinau walked down the hall but stopped and turned back. "Give her ten minutes then bring her to my office."  
  
Viktor nodded and took the opposite hallway going to stand outside her door.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"You're sure we can get all this by tomorrow?" Will asked going over the list Jack and Sydney had created. He and Weiss were in his apartment going over last minute security details. They would be leaving in the morning to go and find Kathryn.  
  
"Yeah," Weiss nodded. "Jack's already got most of it already, Vaughn's picking up the rest tonight from a supplier in South Central and Marshall's bringing the tech. Did Jack get the rest of the Intel yet?"  
  
"Not yet," Will shook his head. "We're picking her up on our way-"  
  
"Did you say picking her up?" Weiss asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah," Will lifted himself onto the kitchen counter and took the beer Eric handed him. "I talked to Sydney. We don't have floor plans and the place where Melnikov has her-Derevko's been there before."  
  
"I don't like this-"  
  
"Yeah I know," Will took a gulp of beer. "I can't say I disagree but without her-we're going in blind, at least this way we've got a better chance."  
  
Absently Weiss reached up to his neck touching his scar, the one left by Irina Derevko when she'd shot him in the jugular.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," Will said seeing him rub his scar. "I don't trust her either but she's her mother and she's all we've got. I trust Jack on this one."  
  
Weiss grabbed another beer from his fridge and flicked the cap off. He drank ¾ of the bottle before pulling it from his lips. He was going to need it if he was even going to be in the same vicinity as Irina Derevko.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Petrov Khasinau looked up from the papers he was reading as his office door opened and Melnikov walked in pushing Kathryn in front of him. She sat down in the large armchair in front of his desk and he dismissed Melnikov.  
  
"You didn't get dressed, would I assume you haven't eaten either." Khasinau came out from behind his desk and sat on the edge of it.  
  
"I'm not hungry," she drew her knees to her chest wrapping her arms around them.  
  
"It's a long way till lunch-"  
  
"I said I wasn't hungry." She looked up at him her eyes just as cold as his, a far cry from the tears she had shed after realizing he was alive.  
  
He opened his jacket and pulled out a syringe and vile. He filled the syringe with the required amount of medication. "It's insulin."  
  
Reluctantly Kat held out her arm, flinching slightly as he gave her the injection. "People are looking for me."  
  
"No," he shook his head. "They're not."  
  
"Yes they are. My-"  
  
"Your sister?" Khasinau pulled the needle out of her arm. "Your father?"  
  
"You know-" she said slowly.  
  
"That Jack Bristow is your father? Of course I know." He leaned forwards gripping her wrist tightly. "Did you think I was a fool? Did you think Alexander was a fool?" He laughed and shook his head in amusement. "Your mother was the fool."  
  
"It was all a set up," she realized. "Him killing you, there was no murder, no suicide. I saw it happen, what was that just an added bonus? You just wanted us in Russia- Why? Did you tell her? Is that why she killed him three years ago? Has she known this whole time?"  
  
"What do you remember about living in Russia?" Khasinau asked deciding to switch topics.  
  
"Not much, just that well my mother was never there, my father had just died but-"  
  
"But?"  
  
"When mom would visit me, I used to tell her that Papa was coming to visit me at night, but she said it wasn't true that I was just dreaming. She wouldn't believe me. Papa was dead, but I knew I was right. Every morning I'd wake up with socks on my feet. You put them on, just like when we lived in.Chicago. We lived in Chicago before New York-" she remembered  
  
Khasinau smiled slightly, "you always kick your covers off at night, your feet were always cold."  
  
"What have you done? Look at what you've become-"  
  
"Enough." Khasinau stood abruptly.  
  
"You're a cold heartless nothing," she stood to face him. "All you care about is the damn Contessa, you don't even know what it is-"  
  
"Enough," Khasinau slapped her hard across the face.  
  
Surprised and in severe pain as his hand struck her swollen jaw, she lost her balance and fell to the floor. She looked up at him gently wiping away the trail of blood forming in the corner of her mouth. She'd expected to find his eyes wild with rage, she'd expected him to hit her again but what she found was exactly the opposite. He was calm his eyes were cold and his hands steady. "They're looking for me," she repeated as he grabbed her arm hauling her up and back onto the chair.  
  
Calmly he returned to his seat behind the desk and passed a folder into her hands. "No Katarina, they're not." He watched as she opened the folder swallowing hard as she saw the first few pictures. Pictures from the footage of her murder. He pulled out one of her gravestone laden with white roses. "You're dead."  
  
Calmly Kat flipped through the remaining photos, but with each passing one her spirits lowered. No one would be coming for her. She closed the file and pushed it back towards him. "You might as well kill me now then, because I'm not telling you anything."  
  
"We'll see about that." They were interrupted as Viktor entered the office. He handed Khasinau a package wrapped in brown paper.  
  
Kat wiped away the last bit of blood from her face, watching curiously as he unwrapped it. She took a sharp breath in seeing the object in his hands.  
  
"Who is this Katy?"  
  
"Mishca?" a look of confusion crossed her face momentarily before she smiled strangely reaching for the doll but he held it out of her reach.  
  
A slow smile spread across his face as he watched her eyes light up. "What color dress is Mishca wearing Katy?"  
  
"Blue," she reached for the doll again but he pulled it away. Viktor stood next to Khasinau surprised at the sudden change in the girl.  
  
"Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water-sing with me Katy," he held out the doll to her.  
  
"Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after," she finished.  
  
"Amazing," Viktor knelt beside her chair looking at her face. She was smiling and her eyes had glazed over as she played with the doll Mishca. "How did you do that?"  
  
Khasinau grinned leaning back in his chair. "The nursery rhyme is the trigger, but it can only be done with the doll present, only this doll. She will respond only to the sound of my voice or the voice of the person who hypnotized her. She doesn't feel pain and is oblivious to her surroundings unless I instruct her to do so."  
  
Deciding to test her out, Viktor took the lighter from the desk and lit it holding her arm out he placed the flame just under her outstretched wrist. She didn't even flinch as the searing heat burned her skin. "Remarkable," he smiled  
  
"That's enough," Khasinau pulled a gun from inside his desk and placed it on his desk. "Well Katy lets see what you remember." The use of her name captured her attention and she picked up the gun and followed his instruction to disassemble and reassemble it. Khasinau smiled watching her. "When she was four, she could do this blindfolded in less than five seconds. She was a natural. Look at this," he turned his computer to face Melnikov & Kat in inserted a disk. A video feed came onto the screen.  
  
Four-year-old Kathryn clad in overalls, a pink t-shirt, pink sneakers and pigtails held a semi-automatic handgun, her fingers barely big enough to pull the trigger. She crouched near the end of a hallway then proceeded to crawl on her knees around the corner, her gun ready. She looked around the corner and then turned aiming her gun and firing. She took down three guards before standing on her tiptoes and picking the lock of the door they were guarding. The top of her head barely reached the handle. Another guard came around the corner surprising her and she shot him at close range before successfully opening the door.  
  
Melnikov glanced over at Kathryn. She was still hypnotized gazing in fascination at the video feed, the doll held motionless in her hands. Her eyes were glazed, clouded over, and vacant. "Impressive."  
  
"Just a simulation of course, they were paint bullets."  
  
Melnikov nodded seeing the guards stand and Petrov Khasinau came into view. He lifted the four-year-old into his arms settling her on his hip and took the gun from her exchanging it for the Mishca doll, which she happily accepted. "Good work Katy."  
  
"Just think of what she can do now that she can tie her own shoes," Khasinau grinned closing the laptop.  
  
"And she never comes out of it?" Melnikov leaned against the edge of the desk.  
  
Khasinau suddenly gave Kat a command and Melnikov found himself staring down the barrel of a gun, which she'd pointed directly at his forehead.  
  
"Point taken," Melnikov nodded. "You want to call her off?" He breathed a sigh of relief as Khasinau did and Kat put the gun back down on the desk picking up her discarded doll.  
  
"Once I pull her out, she won't remember a thing." Khasinau took the doll away from her and began the nursery rhyme again. "Jack and Jill went up the hill to catch a pail of water.."  
  
Kat blinked several times and looked across at Khasinau slightly confused, "did you say something?"  
  
"No," Khasinau leaned across the desk. "Viktor is going to take you back to your room now, I want you to think about what we talked about and I'll come to see you later."  
  
"I've already given my answer."  
  
"I think given some time, you will reconsider."  
  
"Well forgive me but I doubt it." She stood and Melnikov put his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged him off.  
  
"I know you better than you think."  
  
"You've been out of my life for the past fourteen years. You don't know a thing about me Papa."  
  
Khasinau remained silent. He simply opened his laptop and began typing.  
  
Melnikov pushed Kathryn towards the door, but she stopped. "I have one last question, you owe me that."  
  
Khasinau looked up at her expectantly and nodded.  
  
"Did you love her? Four years is a long time. Did you have any feelings towards her at all? To me? You read me stories, took me to the park, tucked me in at night." She swallowed the lump building in her throat. "Everything a father would do with his daughter. Did you ever care for us at all? Or was it all just a fabrication, a lie? A game? Just part of the plan?"  
  
Kathryn stood in the doorway awaiting his answer but he never gave one. His silence was all she needed to know the truth. And the truth hurt.  
  
"Perhaps an alternate arrangement can be made between you and I," Melnikov whispered in her ear, his hand travelled down and slipped around her waist. "You tell me about The Contessa and I will see that you remain comfortable."  
  
Kat stopped and turned to face him. "Don't you touch me, don't you ever touch me."  
  
"My offer remains open."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Sydney stood next to her father, her arms crossed over her chest. Her breaths came deep and long as she squinted at the setting sun. "Are you sure about this?"  
  
There was no hesitation in his voice. "Trusting her is a gamble, but it is a gamble we have to take. I believe she wants to find Kathryn as much as we do." He glanced back at their team who were preparing for the mission while awaiting their last member to join them. "They've all been informed?"  
  
"Yes," she nodded and glanced back at her friends the tension evident on all their faces. "I'd be lying if I said they were happy about it."  
  
"They'll get over it."  
  
"This could all be for nothing." Sydney said softly. "She might not even be there anymore."  
  
"Then we'll look elsewhere." Jack turned to face her, "I don't think she's going to give them anything easily-"  
  
"That's what scares me."  
  
"Be that as it is, Sydney-they won't kill her, she's far too valuable. This isn't just about determining her knowledge of The Contessa. This is personal. The house where she's being held, your mother was held prisoner there. Its possible this is more about Irina Derevko than it is about Kathryn-"  
  
Jack was interrupted by the sound of an approaching car. Instinctively all agents reached for their guns.  
  
Irina was not surprised to see their guns trained on her as she stepped out of the car, which immediately drove off. She held up her hands in surrender style as she walked towards Jack and Sydney.  
  
"Mom," she nodded.  
  
"Hello Sydney, Jack."  
  
"Irina." Jack acknowledged her and the three turned walking towards the waiting plane. Upon entering the plane, it took off and the team began going over the mission specs.  
  
Hours later Irina folded up the map she'd been using to explain their positioning and how they would approach the residence where Kathryn was supposedly being held. The tension in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife and she wasn't surprised when she felt a gun placed against the back of her head.  
  
"This is about finding Kathryn and getting her back. Nothing else matters but so help me god if you even look the wrong way, I'll blow your head off myself" Weiss was in possession of the gun.  
  
Irina took a step forwards and turned to face him. "Good to know we are on the same page. Now please lower your weapon, I'd like to get a few moments of rest before we land."  
  
Reluctantly Weiss pocketed his gun and turned away from her.  
  
"Agent Weiss?" she called him back to her. "The Port of Barcelona, I am pleased to see you've recovered with no permanent damage I hope."  
  
Weiss shook his head curious as to why she'd brought that up. Perhaps she'd seen the scar peeking out just above the top of his collar; he knew Sydney had told her of his injury when she was in CIA custody.  
  
"You've been a good friend to my daughter. To both of them and I am grateful for that. Their lives are very difficult and they need good friends, loyal friends. I appreciate that."  
  
"What ever game you are playing-you won't win."  
  
"There is no game Agent Weiss. My sole concern right now is my daughters safety." Irina turned to walk away.  
  
"She hates you, you know."  
  
"The one thing I know about my daughter is that she doesn't appreciate betrayal. She's a lot like me, like Sydney. I'd expect nothing less." Irina took a seat across from Jack and closed her eyes the last thing she saw was Agent Weiss' cold hard stare as he pocketed his gun.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A/N Thank you to my faithful reviewers!! And if your reading but not reviewing PLEASE just hit that little button that says go and just let me know what you think.  
  
Happy Holidays  
  
Erin 


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

A/N Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, I had a lot of trouble with it. I'm not entirely happy with it but that's alright. Hope you enjoy  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Twenty Nine  
  
She heard him before she felt him; smelt him before he touched her.  
  
She kept her eyes closed in fleeting hopes that he would leave her, but he didn't.  
  
He was drunk. She was frozen in place.  
  
Finally she opened her eyes and sat up gasping for air but Viktor was on top of her. She wanted to throw up. Everything inside of her was telling her to scream but she couldn't; perhaps it was just old habit that she kept her silence.  
  
She put her hands to his shoulders tried to push him off her but he grabbed her wrists pinning them above her head. She could barely breath; his weight on her was suffocating. Her nightgown was pushed up around her waist and his other hand was under it grasping at her breasts. He sat on her waist pinning her under him. His unshaven cheek scraped and burned her skin as he kissed her stomach. Every fiber of her being, of her soul was screaming out in protest telling her to scream, telling her to kick, telling her to fight; but she didn't make a sound.  
  
Her eyes filled with tears and she closed them trying not to cry. Her breaths came in shallow gasps. He sat up and she felt relief finally being able to breathe a bit better. Her relief didn't last long. She didn't have to see to know what was happening. She knew the sound of a man unbuckling his belt.  
  
What happened next wasn't what she expected.  
  
Melnikov was pulled off of her and she heard him fall to the floor. Opening her eyes she watched Khasinau pull Melnikov to his feet and then out of the room. She gasped for breath finally able to breathe. Outside the door Khasinau was yelling at him, hitting him; there was the sound of a gun being cocked but nothing came after it. A few seconds later he returned to her room. "Are you alright?"  
  
Kathryn stood crossing her arms over her chest; she swallowed hard blinking the tears from her eyes, her voice never faltered. "If he ever touches me again, I swear to God, I will kill him with my bare hands."  
  
"He won't." Khasinau approached her. "I want you to come with me." He held out the Mishca doll and slowly she reached for it. "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water..."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Are you in position?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Mountaineer?"  
  
"Boyscout?"  
  
"Mountaineer and Boyscout are you in position?"  
  
"Affirmative." Sydney's voice crackled through the com link.  
  
"Retriever?"  
  
"In position." Weiss pulled out his binoculars and focused on the house.  
  
"Scriber?"  
  
"Scriber is ready. I'm tapping into the video connection now. Security uplink will be available in a few seconds." Will continued cutting and rewiring the electrical panel, which was located just outside the house's stone barrier. "Do you have the feed GadgetMan?"  
  
Marshall was set up in a windowless black van half a mile away obscured in a forest brush. "This is so cool," he babbled on as he typed away on his computer. "I mean who would have thought that-"  
  
"Marshall!"  
  
I'll loop the cameras on your order," he stuttered.  
  
Jack and Irina were positioned just outside the stone wall entrance. Not more than ten feet away, three security guards stood patrolling the entrance.  
  
"We do not approach until we have visual confirmation that either Kathryn or Melnikov are in there. We'll take out the guards at the entrance and then move in." Jack slipped on his ski mask.  
  
"The passage leading to the sublevel where she was being held is located in the second office in the west hallway," Irina slipped on her ski mask concealing her face. "When we get to the sublevel it should be the fourth door on the left. That's where she'll be-"  
  
"There's movement on the roof," Will suddenly interrupted. He grabbed his binoculars looking up at the blackened sky. "Christ she's on the f-ing roof!"  
  
Irina grabbed her binoculars looking up at the roof. "There she is," she whispered as Jack followed her gaze. "There's someone with her but I can't make out who. What is she doing?"  
  
Jack swallowed hard as he watched Kathryn barefoot her arms outstretched as if she were flying; dressed in a white nightgown illuminated by the full moon. She took a few steps onto the top of the peak walking along the narrow ridge on the tips of her toes.  
  
"Oh God," Sydney gasped as Kathryn suddenly lost her footing. Her abilities as a gymnast came into play as she regained her balance and turned to face her opponent.  
  
"Stay in position," Jack ordered. "Any sudden movements and she could go over the edge. Marshall can you get anything on who she's with?"  
  
"No. He's too far from the satellite range, I can't get a visual."  
  
Sydney kept her focus on Kathryn high above them. "Oh God." The man approached Kathryn reaching out for her and took her hands and swung her over the edge of the roof. She hit the side with a loud thump. "We have to go in." Sydney hissed seeing Kathryn dangling over the edge of the roof kicking and screaming.  
  
"Sydney no." Irina said. "If we go in now, the scare-he'll drop her."  
  
It seemed endless as Sydney watched her sister being hung over the edge of the roof. Silently she prayed for her safety. They'd come too far to loose her now. As suddenly as he'd swung her out the man pulled Kathryn back up and moments later they disappeared from the roof.  
  
"Thank God," Will sighed.  
  
"Stay in position." Jack turned to Irina. "Keep your mask on at all times. I don't want her to see you."  
  
"I understand Jack," Irina was seething as she checked her gun. She didn't need him telling her that the worst possible move would be for Kathryn to know that she was helping secure her daughters release. Kathryn wanted nothing to do with her.  
  
"Marshall do you see her?" Jack asked.  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"Retriever and Scriber I want you to circle round and meet up with us at the front gate. Boyscout and Mountaineer, hold your positions." Jack checked his ammo.  
  
The waiting seemed endless.  
  
"I see her." Marshall began pounding on his computer. "She's with Melnikov on the sublevel entering fourth door on the left."  
  
"Get ready to move on my count." Jack checked his watch and then checked the guards positioning with the binoculars.  
  
"5"  
  
"4"  
  
"3"  
  
"Wait," Irina held up her hands pointing at the approaching car. A black sedan pulled up in front of the house obscuring their view of the entrance. "Damn, I can't see anything." It was nearly twenty minutes before someone came out of the house and got into the car and drove away.  
  
"Marshall did you get anything?" Jack asked.  
  
"One man got in the car, he was alone."  
  
"Alright, get ready to loop the cameras we're moving in on my count."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Kathryn stood in the center of the room her hands cuffed behind her back. She wasn't sure what had happened. One moment she was in her room with Khasinau and the next she was on the roof and he was hanging her over the side. She didn't remember going to roof at all; had no recollection of stepping up onto the peak and yet suddenly that was where she'd found herself. He kept asking about the Contessa. Over and over again until finally she'd given in and he pulled her back to safety.  
  
He took her back to her room and told her to change. She obeyed and was now wearing grey cotton pants and a black tank top. Minutes later Melnikov appeared having sobered up and recovered significantly from their earlier encounter. He was sporting a nasty black eye, which she assumed had been a result of Khasinau. He grabbed her arm wrenching it from the socket and pulled her down the hallway. They were stopped by Khasinau who was about to leave the house. He said nothing to Kathryn, merely kissed her cheek and told Melnikov to take care of it. She felt the bile rising in her stomach as his lips left her skin and she chided herself for not decking him earlier when she'd had the chance.  
  
She eyed Melnikov as he approached her. He'd said nothing of the incident in her room. "Tell me where it is."  
  
"Go to hell!"  
  
"This would be far less painful if you would just co-operate Katarina."  
  
"I'm not telling you anything!" she shouted.  
  
He hit her. Without the use of her hands to break her fall, she slammed into the ground landing hard on her injured shoulder. He kicked her and she curled into a ball just trying to breathe. Another and another and another. He continued to kick her pausing only to ask after each kick for her answer before delivering another blow at her silence.  
  
"Are you ready to talk?" he sneered at her as she struggled to her feet.  
  
"Never." She had nothing left to loose. She wished he would just kill her. Everyone believed she was dead anyways, she wouldn't be missed.  
  
"We'll see about that." He uncuffed her hands and pushed her to the side of the room cuffing her to a metal bar. Tears streamed down her cheeks as each blow stung worse than the last. His attempts were futile and still she did not speak. After a while she felt as if she wasn't there at all. The pain subsided and as he hit her over and over again; she was numb, she felt nothing.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Move in." Jack commanded and the team approached the front entrance. They ambushed the guards and took them down easily. As soon as Marshall gave the all clear they entered the house.  
  
Irina felt a sense of déjà vu as they made their way along the long dark corridors. She'd been here before many times though it was more than fifteen years past, everything was still the same. They hadn't seen any guards yet, she was surprised, but they'd be there soon, it was only a matter of time. She signaled to the others and pointed out the office where the passageway was.  
  
Will entered first and secured the office followed by Weiss, Sydney and Vaughn. Irina and Jack took out two guards before they followed the others into the office. Irina dove under the desk searching for the lever. She found it quickly and the passage opened.  
  
They found the guards as soon as they reached the sublevel. It was wildfire. Irina and Jack concentrated on taking out as many guards as they could while Vaughn and Sydney covered Will and Weiss as they made their way down the corridor and entered the fourth door on the left. Sydney and Vaughn soon followed.  
  
There were several guards in the room including Viktor Melnikov. He was surprised at the intrusion and immediately attacked. Sydney matched him kick for kick, punch for punch. He was a well-trained fighter but she was better and after a fight for his knife she took him down knocking him unconscious.  
  
Will and Vaughn took care of the other guards and Weiss went to Kathryn.  
  
He nearly didn't recognize her. He reached out to touch her but froze when her eyes fluttered open briefly. He saw her momentary fear and looked down following the wires attached from her chest to a machine. An electroshock machine. He pulled the wires away from her and fumbled with her restraints. She was a mess. Her wrists and ankles were red and chafed with open sores from the handcuffs-she'd clearly tried to get them off several times. There wasn't an inch of her face that wasn't marked in one way or another and she shuddered every few seconds-a result of the shock torture.  
  
"Kat, wake up," Weiss squeezed her shoulder gently hoping that it was the one part of her that wasn't in pain.  
  
Her eyes opened briefly, a flicker of recognition passed across them but they closed as she shuddered.  
  
Weiss pulled his mask off and framed her face with his hands. "Shiner, I need you to wake up. Come on Kat, wake up. We're getting you out of here but you need to wake up."  
  
"Eric?" she murmured.  
  
"Yes, it's me now open your eyes." He helped her sit up and swung her legs over the side of the table.  
  
"I thought you were a dream." She whispered as he put his arm around her waist helping her walk to the door.  
  
"Nope, I'm the real thing." They stopped at the doorway and waited for Sydney, Vaughn and Will.  
  
"How is she?" Sydney asked changing her ammo.  
  
"Better," Kat managed a smile.  
  
"You're going to be just fine." Sydney gave her a brief hug before turning on her com link. "Papa Bear this is Mountaineer, we're coming out."  
  
"Stay against the right wall," Jack ordered. "You've got guards straight ahead."  
  
"Copy that." Sydney raised her gun preparing to fire. "Stay close," she told Weiss.  
  
"Right behind you," he tightened his hold on Kat and on the count of three they barreled out of the room keeping close to the right wall.  
  
"Where the fuck are all these guards coming from?" Will swore firing off several rounds.  
  
"Underground tunnels," Kat whispered shivering. "They're all over."  
  
"How you doing Kit Kat?" Vaughn reached for more ammo. Kat was crouched behind him shaking constantly.  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
Minutes seemed like hours as they continued to fire back and forth, but slowly it died down and they prepared to advance to meet up with Jack.  
  
Weiss helped Kat to stand and slipped his arm around her waist. "We're going to run." She nodded praying that she'd even be able to run. Her legs were still numb and weak and every part of her screamed out in agony each time she moved. Weiss had to half drag her as they ran down the hall. All the sudden several guards came around the corner firing heavily and she went down hard. Weiss dragged her against the wall and they took cover around another corner across from Jack.  
  
"Is she okay?" Jack yelled across the hallway.  
  
"She's been hit!"  
  
"Cover me," Jack told Irina and he bolted across the hallway to where the others were.  
  
"Where was she hit?" Jack set his gun down.  
  
"Her leg," Weiss wiped his hand that was covered in blood on his pants. "Bullets still in there, it doesn't look too bad though but she's still pretty out of it. They were using shock treatments on her."  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
Jack turned at the sound of her voice. "I'm right here sweetheart. I'm right here," he brushed her hair back from face and her eyes opened focusing on the man in front of her. "You're going to be just fine, we're going to get you out of here."  
  
"It really hurts-I don't think I can walk."  
  
"Don't you worry about it."  
  
"We have to go now!" Irina shouted.  
  
Jack took his coat off and pulled off his bulletproof vest. He slipped it over her head and then zipped up his coat. He helped her stand, "arms around my neck," he ordered. Kat obeyed and he lifted her up. "I need you to hold yourself up, understand?" He held her tightly against his body trying to keep her still despite her constant shuddering.  
  
"Yes," she whispered against his ear and locked her legs around his waist trying desperately to ignore the fiery pain spreading through out her leg and laid her head down on his shoulder.  
  
Jack slipped one of his guns in the waistband of his pants and raised the other in front of him. "Let's go." They each took turns moving one by one up the corridor to the secret passage.  
  
They were almost at the passageway when Jack felt his gun being pulled from his back and three shots were fired very close to his ear. He turned slowly looking to the side. Irina lay in a heap on the ground and Kat held his gun aiming it directly at her mother. Kat's breaths were short and shallow and he looked at her confused face momentarily as he pulled her away from him and then looked back to Irina.  
  
Irina looked up at Kat and swallowed hard. She stood unharmed and Jack could see the dead man beneath her. Her mask had been half pulled off in the struggle and her gun lay on the floor several feet from her. She locked eyes with her daughter watching as Kat slowly lowered Jack's gun and Irina pulled her mask down recovering her face. She hadn't heard the man come up behind her and had Kat not seen him and shot him, she would have been dead before any of them realized what was going on.  
  
Kat looped her arms around Jacks neck once more, still holding his gun her head dropped to his shoulder. Jack nodded to Irina who went on ahead of them. Adjusting Kathryn on his body he held her tighter noticing as her injured leg slipped lower and lower off his hip and blood dripped down her leg and off the tips of her toes. She was already very weak and was loosing blood quickly.  
  
He glanced back once more at the man. Whether she knew it or not, Kathryn had just saved her mothers life.  
  
She tried to keep her eyes open but she couldn't and the last thing she saw before they closed was Viktor Melnikov with three bullet holes in his chest. She'd killed him  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Please give feedback if you want to read more. 


	30. Chapter Thirty

A/N in this chapter you will notice a bunch of question marks where there I supposed to be dialogue. This is because the dialogue was in Russian and it wouldn't transpose correctly but you will see a few paragraphs later what was said.  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Thirty  
  
He felt her body go slack and his gun clattered to the ground. He checked her pulse. It was slow and steady but strong. There were too many guards and they were forced to use the alternative escape route. The original plan would have been for two vans to be waiting in the forests for them. One for Irina, and the other for the rest of them. Things wouldn't always go as planned. Will contacted Marshall giving him their location and five minutes later Marshall arrived and they began the drive to the safehouse.  
  
Jack clambered into the van collapsing on the bench still holding Kat. Her arms were still locked around his neck and her face buried in his neck. She was so cold and even unconscious she continued to shudder every few seconds as a result of the shock treatment and all he could do was hold her closer. Irina sat across from him, her face still concealed by the knitted mask. She watched Jack, but her eyes were blank. Concern wasn't even there but he knew it was hidden.  
  
"She'll live," he said softly and pulled off his mask.  
  
Irina nodded. "I have a contact in the area, he'll extract me before yours comes."  
  
"Good. Are you alright?"  
  
She nodded again and spoke as Jack opened his mouth. "You don't need to tell me what I already know Jack."  
  
"How do you know what I was going to say?"  
  
"I know."  
  
Sydney sat next to her father watching the exchange between the two. She'd heard the gunshots and turned to see Kathryn pointing the gun. Irina was down and Sydney had thought for a moment that she was dead. She breathed a sigh of relief when Irina stood. Melnikov had been down when they left the room. He was unconscious and stabbed, she'd thought he was down for good. She'd made a mistake and that mistake had nearly cost Irina her life. It hadn't though. Kathryn had saved her life; she shot Viktor before he could slit Irina's throat.  
  
Sydney pulled off her mask and laid her head on Vaughn's shoulder gazing at her sister. It had all been worth it. She was alive and that was all that mattered.  
  
Marshall sat across from them next to Will and was babbling incessantly in addition to trying to stay as far away from Irina as possible. It was no secret that she scared the shit out of him.  
  
"Jack?" Weiss held out a wad of bandages.  
  
Jack detached Kats arms from around his neck. "Hold her up," he requested pulling her away from him. Weiss did as he instructed and Jack ripped a hole in Kat's pants where the gunshot wound was and taped bandages on her leg. "That'll hold her for now. I'll take care of it when we get to the safehouse." He unhooked the bulletproof vest and pulled it over her head before allowing her to fall back against his chest her head on his shoulder.  
  
Weiss draped a blanket over Kat's shoulders before finally sitting down beside Irina.  
  
"Well done Agent Weiss."  
  
He hadn't expected this and he turned to look at Irina expecting to find some ulterior motive masked in her eyes. He didn't find one and turned back looking at Kathryn's sleeping figure wondering how she had survived so long. How someone so young and so innocent could fight so hard. The answer wasn't far from him. Although she hadn't grown up with Jack, Irina and Sydney, she had their blood. She had been born into a family of strong personalities. She'd been born into a family of great spies. They were all survivors in one way or another.  
  
Jack looked over at Sydney. Her eyes were closed her head on Vaughns shoulder and his eyes met Vaughn's momentarily. A silent thank you unspoken between the men.  
  
Her fingers were cold and they trembled. Jack sat in silence as Kathryn opened her eyes, lifting her head and ran her fingers over his face, pinching his cheeks lightly. Her touch was feather light at first brushing over cheekbones and he nearly didn't feel her at all and then it deepened as she pulled on his nose.  
  
"I needed to make sure you were real," she said sheepishly when she realized he was watching her. She brought her hands down to his shoulders in order to hold herself up.  
  
"I'm real," his voice was quiet and weak not like it usually was and he remembered the last time this had happened. The last time a daughter unable to believe the reality of the situation and tugged on his face, his nose, his ears just to see if he was real. The day he told Sydney the truth about the enemy. The day he told her the truth about SD-6.  
  
She slipped her arms back around his neck and her head resumed his position on his shoulder. She felt safe in his arms. It didn't matter that he had saved her life or that he was her father. It was just him. She hadn't felt this way since her mother.  
  
Her Mother,  
  
She turned her head slightly scanning the faces in the van and then locked eyes with the stranger. She held her gaze for several moments before speaking.  
  
"Take your mask off, I already know who you are."  
  
Her voice was cold, unfeeling and Irina swallowed hard before removing her mask, the final barrier separating her from her daughter. It had been twelve years since she'd been close enough to touch. Twelve years since she'd really seen her daughter. Neither one said a word. The van was silent; even Marshall had stopped chattering and Sydney opened her eyes watching Irina closely. Irina was not about to make the first move. Kat remained silent, challenging her to make the first move but both were stubborn and neither said a word. Even though she didn't say a word, her daughter's eyes told volumes. They were cold, empty and full of undeniable hatred.  
  
Kat couldn't imagine why Irina was there. Was it just to try and stick it to her one last time? Of course knowing Irina, she was probably involved somehow, working with Khasinau or Viktor or another power just wanting information that Kat couldn't give them. She didn't know what she wanted or even expected from Irina. An admission of guilt, an apology, or even an explanation; but she knew she wasn't going to get one. She turned away moving her head to Jack's other shoulder. As much as she'd wanted to see her face, she couldn't stand to look at her.  
  
This simple action was like a knife slicing through Irina's heart.  
  
"Katy-"  
  
"?? ???????? ?? ????," her words were ice, and the hatred permeated every syllable.  
  
"? - ???? ????." She was the opposite of her daughter. Fearless, in control.  
  
"Vous n'êtes pas ma mère. Ma mère est morte quand j'avais cinq ans. Je ne sais pas qui vous êtes."  
  
Jack glared at Irina silently telling her to be quiet and Irina almost smiled. It was always French. It was contented to know that some things never changed. Even after all these years. When Katy lapsed into French, you knew she was very angry. As like any five year old, Katy had her little temper tantrums and it was always in a slew of French. Although Irina had adequate knowledge of the language it wouldn't have been uncommon to see her looking up words in a dictionary to see what her daughter really meant. At the age of five, Katy could speak it as if she were a native of the language.  
  
Irina sat back in her seat folding her hands in her lap. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Jack was right. It would be best to just let it be; for now. Katy was far too angry to think or behave rationally. She wasn't like Sydney. She'd never been able to develop the trust in others that Sydney had been able to; and Irina blamed herself for that flaw.  
  
Will leaned towards Marshall. "What did she say?" he asked softly.  
  
"Well my Russian is a little rusty," he said flustered. "But I believe she said something like 'Don't talk to me,' and then Irina said, 'I'm your mother.'" He smiled quite pleased with himself. Marshall rarely had an opportunity to practice his language skills. "Oh then she said something like 'you're not my mother, my mother's dead, she died when I was five. I don't know who you are,' but that was in French."  
  
"Thanks,"  
  
Kat had turned her face inward at her mother's words and Jack could feel her silent wet tears against his neck. She pretended not to care that her mother was there but inward, he knew she was twisted inside, confused and filled with hate and sadness. This had been the exact reason she wasn't to know that Irina had been involved in her rescue mission. Things did not always go as planned and at this moment he wasn't sure what to say to her. So he didn't. Words would not be able to fix the situation and he could do nothing but hold her tighter against him and stroke her hair.  
  
After several minutes of silence Kat turned her head to face Sydney. She reached out her hand to her and Sydney took it clasping it in her own, giving her a smile and swallowing the lump building in her throat.  
  
"You're hurt," her voice was full of concern seeing the blood across her sister's shirt.  
  
"Naah," Sydney shook her head. "Just a scratch, I'll be fine." She squeezed her hand; "you're going to be fine too."  
  
She shook her head, "no."  
  
"Yes you will-" Jack pulled her away from him to look her in the eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry for what I said."  
  
He looked at her confused.  
  
"When we were going to Spain," she took a deep breath determined to get out the words she'd been wanting to say for a long time now. "The horrible things that I said about you being a bad father, I had no right to say those things. They weren't true and I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."  
  
"It's alright," he tucked her head under his chin and stroked her head. "It's okay." He looked over at Irina but she stared right past him refusing to meet his eyes.  
  
"He never loved me."  
  
"What are you talking about Kathryn?" Jack asked softly.  
  
"It was all a lie." She pulled away from Jack and looked to Irina. "He never loved you. It was just part of the plan."  
  
It was clear from the look on Irina's face that she had no idea what Kat was talking about. "Katy who are you talking about?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Papa, it was all just a lie, a cover up, a scheme."  
  
Irina swallowed hard covering her mouth with her hands.  
  
"Who's Papa?" Jack asked her.  
  
Irina was silent, her head in hands, she rubbed her temples a look of disbelief appearing across her face. Her eyes met Jacks for a second before looking away drumming the tips of her fingers on her upper lip.  
  
"Who is Papa?" Jack asked her again, his voice louder and angry.  
  
Irina didn't answer. She leaned back against the van wall crossing her arms over her chest. Her face was marred with lines of tension. She was agitated, angry, on guard. "Was he who Melnikov was working for?" she asked.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Answer me Katarina!" Irina near shouted.  
  
"Yes!" Kat screamed, her voice cut off by a sob. "Yes alright! Yes! He was there!"  
  
"Who is he?" Jack shouted at Irina. "Damn it Irina, who is he!"  
  
"Petrov Khasinau." Her voice was eerily quiet and as she ran her hands through her hair and rubbed her temples before looking at Kathryn again and swallowing hard. The other occupants of the van were getting their first look at a very unnerved and very unsettled Irina Derevko.  
  
"I thought he was dead?"  
  
Kat looked over at Will and shrugged. "So was I, wasn't I." She looked to Jack, her eyes tired, her body still shaking. "I just want to go home," she whispered.  
  
"We'll get you home," he said softly pressing her head against his shoulder. "It's all over now."  
  
"No, you don't understand," she whispered against his ear. "It'll never be over."  
  
It'll never be over.  
  
It was those words that would haunt Jack as Kat fell asleep in his arms and they rode the rest of the way to the safe house in silence. Each member of the rescue team lost in their own thoughts; each left with the realization that this was only the beginning. 


	31. Chapter Thirty One

Redemption  
  
Chapter Thirty One  
  
Jack passed Kat off to Weiss once they entered the cabin safehouse. "Get her settled on the couch, we've got to get that bullet out."  
  
Weiss nodded and followed his instructions and set her down. He pulled off her pants and covered her with a blanket applying direct pressure to the gunshot wound.  
  
Jack approached Irina who was just hanging up her cellphone.  
  
"They'll be here in ten minutes," she informed him. Both turned to watch their daughters. Kat lying on the couch and Sydney sitting at the table, Vaughn tending to the knife wound on her stomach.  
  
"Irina-"  
  
"She's remarkable. Everything that I had hoped, everything I knew she would be. Strong, independent, loyal, fearless," Jack detected a sense of pride in her voice as she gazed at their youngest. "However, I don't remember her being so.so small."  
  
Jack had to strain to hear her words. "Well she certainly didn't get that from my side of the family," he remarked an amused smile threatened to play on his lips.  
  
"My sister," she said softly and it occurred to Jack that this was the first time he'd ever heard Irina speak of her family. Laura's parents had died when she was a teenager. She'd had two older sisters, no aunts or uncles or grandparents and he'd often wondered if any of what she'd said was true.  
  
"Jack, you have to understand that if I had known-" Irina turned to face him. "I would never have allowed her to live like that."  
  
"You could have prevented it all."  
  
"Damn it Jack, I didn't have a choice." Irina spoke in a hushed whisper. "If I had told you about her-if the KGB had found out that she was even alive, she wouldn't be here. Sydney wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be here. I thought she was safe and I was wrong."  
  
"We've all made mistakes where she was concerned-"  
  
"Anything that I did was for her protection and I don't regret it." Irina turned and walked towards Sydney speaking with her for several minutes before she boldly approached her second daughter. She sat on the edge of the couch and reached for Kat's hand but she pulled it away.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Katy-"  
  
"Don't call me that. Now why are you here? What is it that you want?" she grimaced shifting her injured leg.  
  
"Do you remember that time when you were five, I took you to this pool, I was teaching you how to swim but you were afraid to go under the water. Do you remember what I said to you-?"  
  
"Why are you here? What is it that you want?" she asked angrily turning to face the woman. "Is this some kind of twisted ploy, God I don't know! What do you want!"  
  
Irina shifted on the couch and took Kat's hand despite her attempts to pull away. "I need to know what you told them."  
  
"God!"  
  
"They questioned you about The Contessa, now I need to know Katarina, what did you tell them?"  
  
"Why should I tell you," she smiled. "You would like to know wouldn't you. I'm sure you've got some trick up your sleeve. You want it all to yourself."  
  
"This is not a game Katarina, this is your life you are playing with!" Irina said in a hushed whisper.  
  
"Fine you want to know what I told them? Nothing! I don't know anything. I don't know what it is or where it is. Are you happy?" she shouted.  
  
"Katy-"  
  
"Leave me alone!" she shouted jerking her arm back. "Just leave me alone."  
  
Irina stood and leaned over her daughter. "Give your father a chance Katarina, he deserves at least that."  
  
She let out an irritated sigh.  
  
"Katarina you have to accept that there are things about this, about you, about your life, about the severity of this entire situation that you do not understand. Your father and Sydney are your only allies."  
  
"Leave me alone," she repeated.  
  
Irina stood and looked down at her daughter. "When I was teaching you how to swim, I told you to trust me. You did and you learned how to swim that day. You need to do that again Katarina. In time, you will understand the truth. Truth takes time."  
  
Jack approached Irina and took her arm. She could hear the helicopter in the distance. "You need to go now," Jack took her arm steering her towards the door.  
  
She looked back the Kat one last time. "What I did, everything I did to protect you, I don't regret any of it." She left the cabin and left all the CIA agents behind her. Jack stood in the doorway. "Keep her out of this life Jack, you owe me that." Her gun drawn she approached the waiting helicopter and grasped an extended hand who helped her into it.  
  
Jack reentered the cabin. He checked his watch; their extraction team would arrive in approximately thirty minutes, enough time for him to adequately tend to Kat's wound. He knelt beside the couch and doused his hands in alcohol before injecting her leg with a topical anesthesia; in her present state he couldn't risk putting her out completely. Will and Weiss stood on either side holding lights watching as Jack skillfully dug the bullet out of Kat's leg and cleaned and irrigated the wound before stitching it up. "Done," he wiped his hands on an available towel. "Stay off it for a bit and you'll be fine. How's your mouth?" he asked.  
  
"I lost three teeth, how should it be."  
  
"Sore?"  
  
"That would be an adequate description then yes."  
  
"We'll get you to medical services once we get back to LA."  
  
She nodded. "Thank you for coming to get me."  
  
He said nothing.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Thank you for the quick extraction," Irina twisted her hair pinning it up and sat down on the couch of the private plane across from her companion.  
  
"I trust the information was accurate and your mission was successful."  
  
Irina nodded, "we got there just in time, she'll live."  
  
"I find it hard to believe that none of those agents took you into custody."  
  
"This operation was about finding Katarina, and nothing else. Everyone involved was there for one reason only."  
  
"You never said anything about another daughter," he took a sip of wine.  
  
"Her existence is best kept in confidence and I trust you will do the same?" She waited for his acknowledgement before continuing. "Tell me Mr. Sark, how did you come to know my daughter."  
  
"Haven't we been over this?"  
  
"Indulge me."  
  
"I was trading information Melnikov wanted about an arms dealer in Bulgaria. She was attempting an escape; I found her and mistook her for Sydney. She's a lot like her, like you. Fearless, stubborn but with a certain lack of regard-"  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
"What is the Contessa?" he asked switching topics and leaning forwards in his seat.  
  
"What do you know about it?"  
  
"Nothing, only the name. It's what Melnikov was torturing her for information about," Sark shrugged refilling his glass. "What is it?" she repeated.  
  
"I don't know," Irina shook her head. "I asked Katarina but she doesn't know. It seems that Melnikov's employer believes she does know what it is, he believes she is the only one who knows what it is."  
  
"She does know-'  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Melnikov gave her a lie detector test. She failed. Her results clearly showed that she does know what it is."  
  
Irina leaned back in her seat drumming the tips of her fingers just above her upper lip, "She lied to me."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
The plane taxied onto the private airstrip and Sydney leaned over and gently shook her sister awake. She'd done her best to clean up the cuts on her face, but Katy still looked as if she'd been through a war zone. She'd slept the entire trip home but not peaceful. As always she cried out in dreams and tears stained her cheeks.  
  
"We're here," she whispered as Kat opened her eyes.  
  
"Home?"  
  
"Home," she nodded giving her a reassuring smile.  
  
Jack was the first off the plain followed by Sydney, Vaughn and Weiss. "Do you see what I see?" Vaughn whispered to Weiss staring straight ahead.  
  
"Yeah," he grimaced watching as Kendall and Lindsey stepped out of two black sedans neither looking any too pleased as they stood under umbrellas in the pouring rain. "We're toast."  
  
"Might as well face the music," Sydney sighed and the four walked up to their superiors.  
  
"Agents Bristow, Vaughn, Weiss, just what did you think you were doing?" Kendall nearly exploded the veins in his head popped out in frustration. "Your actions were reckless and endangered the credibility of this agency."  
  
"What were you going after-" Lindsey stopped short and they all turned and followed his gaze watching as Will crouched down on the steps down from the plane and Kat emerged slipping onto his back. With the aid of Marshall they walked towards the others splashing through puddles on the way.  
  
Both Kendall and Lindsey eyed her open mouthed.  
  
"Gonna catch flies," she smirked.  
  
"You certainly know how to come back from the dead; an accomplished Derevko trait I believe," Lindsey recovered first and crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"I should I take that as a complement I suppose, but I'd much rather you didn't compare me to a terrorist."  
  
"Take it any way you want," Kendall opened the car door. "I'm placing you under protective custody, you'll be out of the US within the hour."  
  
"What? No! You can't do that," Sydney shouted. "She's safer here, with us."  
  
"And where was she when she went missing-"  
  
"That was my fault," Kat interrupted sliding off Will's back. "I took off and got myself into trouble, this wasn't their fault, please-"  
  
"It's already been decided," Kendall shrugged. "Devlin gave the order before she disappeared. When none of you reported to work, I did a trace on your phone records and found that you'd rented a plane. I certainly didn't expect this," he nodded to Kat.  
  
"She needs a doctor, not protective custody," Jack interrupted.  
  
"Come on Miss. Sullivan," Lindsey took her arm urging her into the car. She winced as he pulled on her bad shoulder and stumbled to her knees as she was forced to put weight on her injured leg.  
  
"Be careful," Will scolded Lindsey as he helped Kathryn to her feet. "She's hurt."  
  
Kendall gave her a once over noticing for the first time her present state of attire. Her black tanktop was smeared with dried blood. She was barefoot, the grey cotton pants she wore were darkened with blood and missing a leg revealing her bruised and battered limb and the gunshot wound that was bleeding through the bandages.  
  
Lindsey took her arm once more this time gently leading her to the car.  
  
"I'll get this sorted out," Jack said gruffly seeing the fear in her eyes. "You'll be back in LA soon."  
  
"Wait-" she cried as Lindsey tried to force her into the car. "Wait, please, we have to go to the JTF first."  
  
"Why is that?" Kendall asked.  
  
Kat's eyes met Jack's as she spoke. "Because. because I know what The Contessa is."  
  
There was silence among the group as they took in and processed her words. Lindsey was the first to speak and his words sent a shiver down Kat's spine making her feel sick to her stomach. "Let's get our girl home."  
  
'Our girl,' his words made her cringe and the presence of his hand on her shoulder made her want to vomit. He was sleeze. Now he wanted her, or rather wanted her knowledge.  
  
"Get in the car Kat," Jack held the door open wider and took her hand helping her slide into the backseat. Vaughn and Sydney followed and Marshall, Will and Weiss and Lindsey got in the second car.  
  
"Jack-" Kendall put out his arm stopping Jack from entering the car. He looked in at Kathryn who sat in the middle seat her resting on Sydney's shoulder her eyes closed. "If that's your daughter in there, than who did you bury?"  
  
Jack didn't have a moments hesitation before speaking. "Kathryn Sullivan."  
  
A/N( Please hit that little purple button and give feedback if you want more. 


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

Redemption Chapter 32  
  
The JTF was deserted when they got there. Night employees went about their business as usual, realizing something was up at seeing the various agents clad in black occupying the briefing room. They were curious but knew better than to ask. Only a few caught a brief glimpse of Kat as she was rushed into Jack's office and the blinds drawn. That certainly didn't stop the rumors from circulating. Within an hour the night guys in analysis had heard the rumors that Kathryn Sullivan might be alive and they were only confirmed by medical services a half-hour later.  
  
Sydney, Vaughn, Marshall and Weiss paced the briefing room explaining their actions to Lindsey, Kendall and Dixon who'd promptly arrived following the phone call that told him Kat had returned to the US. They of course conviently left out any mention of Irina as had been agreed upon and presented their fabricated Intel detailing where the girl had been held, and how they'd come to know the truth. Sydney also provided only a brief mention of Petrov Khasinau and his probable involvement in her sisters kidnapping and the death of Viktor Melnikov.  
  
Jack stood outside the door to his office. Kathryn had been inside by herself for well over an hour now. She'd immediately requested paper, colored pencils, her doll Sophie, a bottle of grape juice and the small box containing her drawings that had been recovered from her apartment in New York. The blinds drawn she'd asked that no one disturb her until she was ready. He'd managed to get her to see medical services before locking herself away in his office.  
  
"Dad?" Sydney approached him quietly. "How is she?"  
  
"Still in there. She refuses to come out until she's ready. I'm beginning to question whether or not she actually knows what it is."  
  
"She wouldn't lie, not about this." Sydney sighed, "when I first saw her, I swear to God I thought she was dead," she rubbed her eyes wearily. "She was so still, even now I barely recognize her, they really did a number on her."  
  
"They did, but she'll be fine," he nodded in agreement. "What's going on?"  
  
"Kendall's furious that we didn't go to him, though he actually admitted that they wouldn't have allowed an extraction based on our Intel. By the time the Intel was confirmed, Katy probably would have been dead, or at least that's what he thinks."  
  
"Khasinau wouldn't have allowed her to be killed," Jack shook his head. "She's far too valuable to him but he won't come after her again, not just yet."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
Jack nodded. "The fact that he's even after something that he doesn't know what it is, that no one knows exactly what it is intrigues me. Alexander Khasinau must have told him something to get him this far." Jack watched as Sydney paced the floor. "I talked to Devlin, convinced him to allow your sister to stay here but he had one condition."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"She has to stay with me. At least until we get more information about the Contessa, and what she knows about it."  
  
"She's not going to go along with that," Sydney shook her head. "You're not exactly her favorite person right now."  
  
"She'll go along with it," Jack interrupted.  
  
"How are you so sure?"  
  
"Because she won't want to be separated from you," Jack was stone faced. "She'll stay with me and follow their rules because she wants answers just as much as they do and co-operating is the only way she'll get them-"  
  
They were interrupted as Kat opened the door; "I'm ready now."  
  
Everyone was bundle of nerves as Sydney slowly helped Kat walk in to the briefing room. She'd refused any sort of pain killers fearing she'd be unable to think clearly but currently all she wanted was a good dose of morphine and a comfortable bed. It would be hours before she would be able to receive either of those.  
  
Lindsey sat on the edge of his seat and Kat bit back a smile at the thought of him falling off it as soon as she told them what she knew.  
  
"They took me because they wanted to know about The Contessa, of course you already knew that," she began. "Papa-Petrov Khasinau, he has no idea what it is but I think he knows that I remember, that I know. He started getting desperate, he wanted it so bad and maybe he thinks that it's something bigger than what it really is."  
  
"Before they took you, that's what you wanted to tell us-" Sydney realized remembering that her sister had been desperate to tell them something, just before Jack had told her that he was her father.  
  
She nodded and held out the doll, "It was an accident really." They all leaned forwards in their seats watching as she set the doll in the middle of the conference table and slowly poured grape juice over the dolls dress. "Look closely."  
  
"It's a code," Marshall said excitedly as the juice pigmented the white fabric of the dolls dress revealing a short code. "That is so cool."  
  
"It only lasts for a few minutes, then its like it was never there,' she shrugged.  
  
"What does it say?" Kendall asked.  
  
"The Contessa, not much just a bit of its history. It's from the Romanov's, it belonged to them to their legacy, it still does I suppose." She showed them a drawing she'd made when she was five. It was of her mother. "I used to say my mother was prettier than a princess and she should wear a crown," she said not even bothering to hide the bitterness in her voice. She pointed at the crown adorned with jewels she'd drawn on her mother's head. "That's what this is all about," she sighed and opened the sketchpad where she'd drawn a larger more accurate version of the tiara. "It's what The Covenant, Khasinau, what everyone's after and they don't even know what it is. A stupid diamond."  
  
"It's purple," Weiss observed passing the sketchbook to Vaughn.  
  
"Okay, so it's a very rare, very expensive diamond," she shrugged.  
  
"You're sure this is it?" Jack asked passing the sketchbook back to her.  
  
Kathryn glanced down at the book tracing her finger around the edges of the drawing, "am I sure that this is the very object that is ruining my life?" She met his eyes, "absolutely." She swallowed hard, gazing at the drawing of the tiara; the room thick with silence as they waited for her to continue. "I can only tell you what it is, that's all I know, that's all I remember. I don't know where it is now, or if it even still exists. Thirteen years ago, I saw it in the vault in Alexander Khasinau's office. We left Russia the next day."  
  
"Is that all?" Lindsey asked.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Alright," Kendall stood gathering the drawings. "I'll get these to analysis. Go home now."  
  
The room quickly emptied out leaving Kat and Jack. Neither said a word, finally he stood and came around to help Kat stand. "Come on, you need to go to medical services."  
  
"No, please," she shook her head. "I'm fine really, I'm tired, I'm really tired. Please, I just want to go home."  
  
"Alright."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Sydney had been right. Kat wasn't at all pleased with the prospect of going with Jack but he'd been correct as well. She hadn't resisted. Under normal circumstances she might have, but these were anything but normal circumstances.  
  
Jack set the milk carton back in the fridge and closed the door with his foot. Kat had slept the short drive home. She was exhausted but as sure as she needed rest, she needed food. He'd given her his room and he would take the pullout couch in his office. He knocked on the door, it was slightly ajar and he pushed it open. "Kat, I brought you a sand-" he stopped cold. The sight before him was not one he expected and his breath caught in his throat. She stood at the edge of the bed beginning to take off her sweatshirt. Her tank top caught and Jack caught sight of her lower back. She froze and slowly turned around tugging her shirt down. Jack set the glass and plate on the laundry hamper at the end of the bed. "Eat this, I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
He closed the door behind him and immediately went to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a scotch. He drank it quickly and then poured another, he would need it.  
  
Jack returned to his bedroom several minutes later. He set the first aid kit on the bed and sat down on the end of it. He took the half-eaten sandwich away from her and set it on the floor.  
  
"Take your shirt off and lie down," Jack requested opening the first aid kit. He pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and several packets of gauze. "Kat," he touched her shoulder when she didn't move. "Take off your shirt, and lie down on the bed," he repeated gently.  
  
Jack's hands formed tight fists as she did as he asked and revealed the bloody welts and cuts that covered most of her lower back. They were deep and bound to leave permanent scars. "This is going to sting, I'm sorry it's all I have."  
  
She nodded and let out a loud hiss as the substance made initial contact with her skin. She dug her fingernails into the pillow and cried silently. He couldn't hear her but her shoulders trembled as he tended to the whippings.  
  
"What did he use?" Jack gritted his teeth pressing an alcohol drenched gauze pad against a particularly deep welt.  
  
"A belt," she whispered after hesitation.  
  
"When?"  
  
"Just before you came."  
  
He finished cleaning and bandaging her cuts in silence. He took the shirt he'd brought and spread it over her shoulders. "I'm done."  
  
She slowly sat up and he helped her slide her arms in the sleeves. Finally she turned to face him buttoning the last few buttons.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
Kat shrugged, "I don't know."  
  
"Where else are you hurt?" She looked at him, unsureness in her eyes. "Kat, tell me where you are hurt."  
  
"My shoulder," she said hesitantly and then held her breath as Jack checked it. He used a tensor bandage and secured a cold pack on her shoulder. "I think you pulled something. He took her arm examining it closely. "How did you get this burn?" he asked brushing his finger over it.  
  
She jerked her arm away in pain. "I don't know," she shook her head.  
  
"You don't know?" he asked pulling her arm towards him again and applied an antiseptic and a bandage, he then did the same to her wrists.  
  
"I-I.I don't remember."  
  
"Where else?"  
  
"My side, my ribs and my chest-it hurts to breathe." She was quiet as Jack put a stethoscope to her chest and listed to her respiration's. "You're good at this," she observed watching him as he lifted her shirt and gently felt along her sides. "Are you a doctor?"  
  
"No, not exactly," he shook his head. "I was a medical student, before I joined the CIA." He began putting the items back in into the first aid kit. "I want you to have an x-ray tomorrow, now go to sleep." She nodded and climbed under the covers. Jack pulled up the blanket, "Kat, I need to ask you something."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Did they.. Melnikov, did he...I need to know if he. hurt you."  
  
"You're asking if he raped me?"  
  
"Yes," Jack nodded.  
  
"No," she shook her head and looked away unable to meet his eyes.  
  
"Good," he stood and turned the light off. "Get some sleep." He closed the door behind him and proceeded into the kitchen where he poured himself another drink and then sat down on the sofa where he remained until morning. ~ ~ ~ "Kat, wake up," Jack shook her shoulder.  
  
She sat up startled and disoriented as she looked around trying to figure out where she was one look at Jack and she knew. "You need to get up now, we have to be at the JTF in 90 minutes, they've made progress on The Contessa. Sydney brought you some clothes, I left them in the bathroom."  
  
Kat groaned and fell back against the pillows as he left the room. She glanced at the clock, 10 AM. After nine days in captivity, they wouldn't even allow her to sleep till noon. Slowly got out of bed and grabbed the cane Jack had left by her bed. Every step she took was agony but the cane was better than crutches. She stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. Several of the bruises around her face were beginning to fade, others only starting to show. She grinned seeing the make up kit Sydney had brought. It wouldn't get rid of them, but it would help a little. 


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

A/N( Okay, here it is finally, I'm sorry it took so long to get but I've been busy and it was giving me problems to write but I hope you'll enjoy. Please give feedback!!!!!  
  
Redemption Chapter Thirty Three  
  
Kat gripped the cane tightly as they rode the elevator up. Her palms were sweating and her breathing erratic. Jack glanced over at her several times. "It'll be fine, everyone already knows, they're expecting you."  
  
"Sure," she sighed. "What am I supposed to say to them? They thought I was dead, they went to my funeral for Christ's sake."  
  
"It will be difficult, but you'll be fine. How's your back?"  
  
"Sore," she shrugged.  
  
"After we're done here, I want you to have those x-rays."  
  
"Jack no-"  
  
"No arguments."  
  
"Alright, fine," she sighed. "Why are you being so secretive about all this?"  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"You mean you don't know what they found out about The Contessa?" she asked surprised.  
  
"No." The doors opened and they stepped into the rotunda. Jack saw Sydney and motioned her over; he checked his watch. "The briefing is in twenty minutes, stay with Sydney until then."  
  
Kat nodded and watched him walk to his office. Typical Jack Bristow; all business.  
  
"Hey," Sydney greeted her with a large smile and a hug. "You survived," she joked referring to spending the night with Jack.  
  
"Funny," Kat managed a smile. "Everyone is staring at me," she said softly looking down at her feet.  
  
"They're just happy to see you, we all are." Sydney put an arm around her shoulders and led her away. "Come on, there is someone that you have to meet."  
  
"Eric?" Kat stopped and called his name as he was passing in front of her, but he didn't respond.  
  
"Kat come on," Sydney tugged on her arm.  
  
"Who is it?" she asked as Sydney led her to Marshall's office.  
  
"You'll see," Sydney knocked on the door before they entered.  
  
"Hey you're looking better," Will grinned and gave Kat a quick hug.  
  
"Oh, watch the back," she winced as he held her a little too tight. "It's called cover-up, the greatest invention of the modern world." She pulled away and leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I never thanked you," she said shamefully. "Thank you."  
  
"I'd do it again in an instant," he said.  
  
"Kat," Marshall called over to her and enveloped her a big hug. He pulled away several long moments later wiping tears from his eyes.  
  
"It's good to see you," she gave him another quick hug and then noticed Carrie and a baby car seat sitting on his desk.  
  
"You had your baby," she smiled giving Carrie a hug.  
  
"I still can't believe it's really you," Carrie smiled holding her close.  
  
"Yeah, there's a lot of that going around," Kat laughed lightly and wiped her cheeks.  
  
"Just give them all some time, they'll get used to the idea. Now come meet our daughter," Carrie took her hand leading her over to the baby.  
  
Kat gazed at the four-day-old infant, "she's beautiful, congratulations," she said in a shaky voice.  
  
"Thanks," Marshall grinned from ear to ear. "She was born the day of your funeral, we named her Kate...er well after you of course."  
  
"What happened to the unisex names," she asked with a laugh. "Weren't you leaning towards Jordan or Jamie?"  
  
"Kate seemed more fitting," Carrie lifted the baby out of the carrier. "A good strong name and in honor of a good friend, it's perfect." She held out the baby to her, "do you want to hold her?"  
  
"Oh, no, I shouldn't," she backed away. "I might drop her."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous," Carrie laughed.  
  
"Wait just a minute, don't tell me that the fearless Kat---the I come back from the dead kicking ass---Kat is afraid of a baby?" Will snickered.  
  
"I'm not," she protested. "It's just..I've never held a baby before," she confessed.  
  
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Carrie plopped the baby in her arms and guided her hands to hold her properly. Kat sat down on a chair, "Hi little Kate," she whispered in amazement transfixed by the tiny being. Everything was so small, so miniature, so fragile. Her breath caught in her throat as a tiny fist grasped her baby finger.  
  
"We were wondering if you'd be her godmother," Carrie sat next to her and was surprised at the shocked reaction on Kat's face. "We've already asked Sydney and she said yes and Vaughn and Eric as well, we were hoping you would be her other godmother."  
  
"I-wow, Carrie, Marshall, I'm honored really but I really don't know how long I'll be around," she said softly. She handed the baby the baby back to Carrie. "After this is all over, if I'm still..in this world, I'll probably go back to the city."  
  
"Kat-" Syd began.  
  
"No, Sydney it's okay," Carrie interrupted and turned to face Kat. "But I hope you'll reconsider."  
  
"Kat?" they turned to see Dixon standing in the doorway. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"  
  
"Sure," she nodded and left the office.  
  
"Briefings in five," Dixon reminded them. "Carrie, I know you're on leave but if you could attend the meeting I'd appreciate it."  
  
Carrie nodded curious as to why he wanted her there. She'd only stopped in so everyone could see the baby, but everyone was being rather secretive about the briefing. They'd spotted several of the tech guys in the rotunda on their way in and heard the rumors that analysts had been brought in from Langley, which Will had confirmed. Even Marshall was sure he'd recognized a few FBI Agents from the Department of Special Research. Kendall and Lindsey were present and had been in Dixon's office all day long but they weren't saying anything and Vaughn had mentioned hearing Dixon's secretary take a call from Devlin who apparently was going to be late and they should go ahead without them.  
  
All eyes turned to the door once more as Weiss burst in, "guess what I just heard." He didn't wait for their response before closing the door and launching into his story. "I was in the men's room and in walks two agents from Langley, thinking they were alone. All I caught was three words," he paused for dramatic effect. "Kathryn, The Contessa and get this......Rambaldi."  
  
Sydney crossed her arms over her chest now more confused than ever. Whatever was going on was big, maybe bigger than any of them could imagine.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Jack had been unable to speak with either Kendall or Dixon before the briefing and as he walked into the overcrowded briefing room, he realized that he wasn't the only one who had been kept in the dark. He spotted Sydney and took the seat beside her near the head of the long conference table. "Where is she?" he asked.  
  
"Kat's with Dixon, Dad what is going on?" Her eyes were wide, "what is this all about?"  
  
"I don't know," he shook his head and Sydney could tell that he was worried.  
  
"Weiss overheard two agents from Langley talking in the men's room." Sydney lowered her voice and leaned towards him. "They were talking about Kat and The Contessa, they also mentioned Milo Rambaldi. The Contessa is connected to Rambaldi."  
  
Jack was silent. He wasn't surprised; the increase in agents was only the first hint. All eyes turned towards the door as Lindsey and Kendall entered followed by Dixon who guided Kathryn in.  
  
She could feel everyone's eyes on her; burning holes into her back and she quickly took a seat next to Jack. She'd never felt so out of place in jeans and a T-shirt with bruises marring most of her visible skin, mixed in with CIA and FBI Agents all smartly dressed in business suits. If anyone could be intimidated, this was the way to do it. Weiss sat across from her, she hadn't seen him since the night before and she tried to catch his eye but he wasn't paying attention as he chatted to Vaughn who sat beside him.  
  
"Alright people listen up," Dixon took his seat at the head of the conference table with Dixon and Lindsey. "I know it's a little crowded in here," he stood again and began walking around the table pointing out various groups of people. "We have analysts on loan from Langley, FBI from Special Research, Agents Donovan and Caruthers from BSI and new recruits observing. I'll introduce you to the key players in our investigation. Agents Bristow, Jack and Sydney, Agent Vaughn, Agent Weiss, Agent Tippin, Marshall Flinkman and Carrie Bowman from Optech. And this is the lady of the hour, Kat Bristow."  
  
Dixon's hands rested lightly on her shoulders as he introduced her to the group. She caught Jack's near look of surprise from the corner of her eye as Dixon called her by name but it quickly faded, replaced by his regular poker face and she kept her eyes down staring at the clasped hands in her lap.  
  
"Now we've got quite a bit to cover, so pay attention." He clicked the remote and the computer screens brought up three pictures, one of Kat, Melnikov and the third was Petrov Khasianau. "Now you've all read the file so I won't go into too much detail but eleven days ago Kathryn Sullivan, also known as Kat Bristow and Katarina Derevko was abducted by a man named Viktor Melnikov. She was taken to Rome where she was reportedly killed." Kat glanced up hearing for the first time the events that had occurred surround her absence. Her eyes met Weiss' briefly. He was staring right at her with this indescribable look on his face; a look she'd never seen before. A look of regret, a look of sadness. He looked away quickly his face becoming a blank slate when he realized she was watching him and focused his attention back to Dixon. She opened her mouth as if to say something, confused as to his actions. Dixon continued to speak discussing Melnikov's history, but she didn't hear anything he said. She was caught in a daze, confused, hurt and wondering what exactly had happened, wondering why Eric was giving her the brush off. Jack brought her back to reality as he tapped her arm to get her attention and she focused back on Dixon swallowing the lump building in her throat.  
  
"Her murder was staged. We received a video detailing it and pictures. We believed Kathryn Sullivan had been killed-"  
  
"So who was in the video then?" one of the FBI officers interrupted.  
  
"We don't know-" Dixon shook his head. "It's most likely it's the body of the person who was buried.  
  
"It was me," she said slowly.  
  
"Kat, what are you talking about?" Sydney turned to her.  
  
"Well I've never seen the video but it was me," Kat explained. "He pushed me to my knees, put the gun to my head, I tried to reason with him, tried to give him a way out but he wouldn't. I thought I died. He pulled the trigger and it was a gun, the sound was a gun but there wasn't a bullet, it was a needle and blood. I don't know how they did the blood but the needle- " Kat began breathing erratically as she remembered the events leading up to her supposed death. "The needle was very real, it put me right out. I woke up two or three days later. I thought I was in heaven, but I soon learned it was hell."  
  
Dixon nodded in acknowledgement before continuing. "Agents Bristow, Jack and Sydney went to Rome, identified her body and brought her home. It wasn't until the day before her funeral that they realized that it wasn't really her. They received Intel acted on this Intel, formed a team and extracted her last night. Now Melnikov was working for a man named Petrov Khasinau. He believed as The Convenant did that Kathryn knew about something he called The Contessa. His brother Alexander Khasinau whom you may remember was Irina Derevko's right hand man, showed it to Kat when she was a child but she didn't remember what it was." He paused momentarily watching as the new recruits scrambled to write down ever one of his words. "During the time that Kat was abducted and her extraction, she did remember what it was and we have every reason to believe that Khasinau knows this and will come after her again. Now after the debrief last night we sent the information she gave us about The Contessa to analysis at Langley. Why don't you bring us up to speed."  
  
The head analyst from Langley nodded and clicked the mouse changing the computer screens to an old black and white photograph of The Contessa and Kat's hand drawn picture. "The reason we've never been able to find anything on it, is because it's never been known as The Contessa. We traced it back to 1918 where it was known as the violet diamond tiara. It belonged to The Romanov Family of Russia worn mostly by The Grand Duchess. It disappeared after the massacre of the Royal Family, its never been seen since. It came into possession of the Romanov's during the 1600's at that time it was a very large rare uncut diamond. We're still working on how it got from Rambaldi to the Romanov's. The diamond was then set into the Tiara. The story goes that the center of the diamond couldn't be cut so only the edges were trimmed and the center was fit into the tiara and the edges were set around it-"  
  
"So what exactly does this have to do with Rambaldi?" Sydney sighed wishing they would just get to it.  
  
"I'm getting to that," the analyst continued. "Our analysis of the doll and the material of the dress leads us to believe that although the doll was manufactured in Moscow in 1985 the dress or at least the material dates back hundreds of years. We're still trying to narrow it down to a specific year but it does correspond to a time frame within Rambaldi's lifespan and the coding is clearly his."  
  
Kat poured over the photographs of her doll Sophie. Every inch of her had been burned into her memory as far back as she could remember but something wasn't right, something was different. "She wasn't wearing that dress when I got her," Kat spoke up softly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Kendall asked.  
  
"It remember, it was soft against my skin and dark..dark blue or green. It was velvet. She was wearing a velvet dress when I got her. I forgot her at that house and then we went back the next day but she was wearing a different dress, the one she has now."  
  
"I would think its safe to assume that Alexander Khasinau switched either the entire doll or just the clothing. He wanted you to find out about the coding." Kendall cleared his throat and opened his file to his notes on Kat's regression therapy session where she had spoken of the doll to verify his statements.  
  
"We could only find one mention of anything resembling the Contessa in Rambaldi's works, it told us nothing only that the diamond, was the key. The key to what exactly, we don't know-"  
  
"Wait," Carrie interrupted. "I might have something." She began typing rapidly on the computer and accessed her workstation and notes and files on Rambaldi. The others sat in a nervous silence waiting for her. "Here it is," she made visible her notes on the other screens. "On page twelve of the Rambaldi manuscript. He made reference to something called Scroll 47 which would contain the key. We assumed it was in reference to Page 47, The Prophecy, but it does seem more likely that there is a scroll 47 floating around out there."  
  
"Alright I want you to all focus on that page, find out about this scroll 47. Do we have it? If not where can we get it." Lindsey closed the file and stood up. "We need to get this scroll before Khasinau does and before The Covenant realizes that Kathryn is still alive. Work on it, we'll meet back at four. Dismissed."  
  
Kat leaned back in the chair staying put as the room emptied out. Jack and Sydney stood in the corner with Will, Vaughn and Carrie speaking in hushed tones. Her eyes traveled over to Jack's file. Hers had her name on it; none of the others did so it was obvious that hers was lacking information the others contained. No one was watching and she slid it over in front of her. There didn't seem to be anything much different until she got to the photographs. More specifically the photographs of her death. Her eyes filled with tears as she thumbed through them. They were graphic and it was impossible to say if it was even her, or the look-a-like. A hand reached out slapping the file closed and pulling it away from her. She looked up at Jack's angry face. "I have questions," she whispered blinking away the tears.  
  
"Not now," he handed her the cane. "You have an appointment with Medical Services."  
  
"But Jack-"  
  
"Not now," he repeated and took her arm helping her stand and it was now that she noticed they were the only ones left in the room. As they left the room Kat walked smack into someone. As she took a step back and looked into their face, she didn't recognize him but he had an air of authority about him and she knew exactly who he was.  
  
"You're Devlin," she said softly and Devlin glanced over at Jack in surprise. "You're the one who wanted to lock me up."  
  
"Putting you in protective custody would have been for your own good," he crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"Like putting me in a safe house was. Lots of people died because of me. I won't live in a prison, I would rather die than live in a prison-"  
  
"Kat," Jack interrupted. "Please wait for me in my office."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Now Kat." Jack didn't even try to hide his anger as he spoke harshly to her.  
  
She started to walk away but turned back to face Devlin. "Just so you know," she crossed her arms over her chest stepping back towards him. "If you try to lock me up again, I'll run. And I promise you that you will never be able to find me. Have I made myself clear?"  
  
"Katarina, My office. Now!" Jack said through clenched teeth.  
  
Devlin watched her walk away an eyebrow raised. "Well I see you have your hands full with her, I guess I don't need to tell you who she reminds me of," he had almost a hint of amusement in his voice.  
  
Jack just glared at him.  
  
"Have you heard anything from Derevko since she informed you that Ms. Sullivan is your daughter?" Devlin asked stepping into the briefing room.  
  
Jack followed and closed the door behind him. "What are you insinuating Ben?"  
  
"You acted on the Intel from an unreliable source regarding a daughter you barely know. You and I both know that you would not act impulsively on Intel unless you trusted the source it came from."  
  
"My daughter is back in my custody and she is alive and that is all that matters," Jack reached for the door handle.  
  
"So the Intel did come from Irina Derevko."  
  
"Get to the point Ben."  
  
"This is the biggest break in Rambaldi we've had in months. The girl who seems to have all the answers turns up missing and then dead. Then suddenly reappears and you want to tell me that your ex-wife, her own mother, the one obsessed with Rambaldi had nothing to do with it, no one buys it Jack, especially not me."  
  
"Irina Derevko supplied Intel through an unknown source that led to her daughters recovery. If you want to write that in the report than go ahead," he opened the door.  
  
"Jack, don't forget that you're not the only one who was fooled by her. We all were."  
  
"Ben, that was twenty years ago. What that woman does now is of no concern to me. What does concern me is protecting my daughter, whether she wants it or not; even if that requires protecting her from you." Jack let the door slam behind him and made his way to his office.  
  
Kat stood as he entered the office. "Are you angry with me?" she asked tentatively.  
  
"No," he sat down and set the files regarding The Contessa in his desk.  
  
"Not about Devlin," she shook her head. "About what Dixon called me, Kat Bristow." She swallowed hard. "He asked me before the meeting what I wanted to be called, I didn't know what to say. Kathryn was never real and I'm not really sure who I am anymore."  
  
Jack watched her for several moments before he stood and spoke. "Get your coat. There's something I want to show you." 


	34. Chapter Summaries 133

A/N Here are short summaries for each Chapter 1 to 33 for those who need a refresher of everything that's gone one.  
  
Chapter One: Sydney and the team receive Intel about the pending abduction of a 17-year- old girl from NYC named Kathryn Sullivan by the Covenant. Sydney thinks she looks a little familiar. Syd and Vaughn go to NYC break into her apartment only to find that she's already been taken. Syd finds an interesting photograph and shows it to Jack when they return. Turns out Kathryn's mother who was thought to be dead is really Irina Derevko. Kathryn's father Paul Sullivan supposedly committed suicide when she was four and her mother Alison Porter was killed in a Convenience Store robbery when she was five, after which she entered the Foster Care System and was emancipated at the age of sixteen.  
  
Chapter Two:  
  
Syd and Vaughn go to Bangkok where Kathryn is being held. They find her but she is not doing well as she was tortured and she is diabetic. Vaughn carries her out but they are attacked and Kathryn manages to save Vaughn by shooting one of the guards with a tranq gun but they get out safely. She does however punch Weiss knocking him out.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Jack met the team at the landing strip and they took Kathryn to the OP Center. While she slept in Jack's office. They learned that she was being tortured for information about something called The Contessa.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Kathryn meets Jack and he realizes that there is no doubt that she is Irina's daughter. He questions her about The Contessa but she has no idea what it is or why she was taken.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Kathryn tells Jack about the events leading up to her rescue and he convinces her to allow him to do some tests. Memory tests, IQ tests etc. The next morning, she sees and recognizes Weiss and goes to apologize to him earning the nickname Shiner. She sees a code Marshall has been working on for hours and tells him how to decipher it. She sees Jack talking to a woman. As she approaches them, they switch to Greek and finally she interrupts asking what they were saying about her mother.  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Jack and Sydney explain to Kathryn that her mother was not dead, that she was really Irina Derevko, Russian spy extraordinare. They told Kathryn about her mothers past history and that she indeed was alive. Upset Kathryn ran out of the building and Sydney chased after her. Marshall told Jack about Kathryn's help in decoding the message. Syd and Kathryn have a heart to heart and she starts to loosen up a bit but when they go back to the office Jack ruins things as he demands to know who she is working for.  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Kathryn denies any wrongdoing and explains to Jack and Syd that her mother taught her how to break codes as soon as she could read at age two. She is fluent in over 40 languages. She began learning them as a young child. She explained that she got answers on the memory tests purpose so he didn't suspect her of cheating and they learn she has a photographic memory. Jack decides to place her in protective custody. As they are going to the cell, Kathryn sees and recognizes Arvin Sloan and Sydney and Jack realize that Sloan has known Kathryn existed for a long time.  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Jack tries to talk to Kathryn about Sloan but she is reluctant, he's been kind to her for as long as she could remember. Jack explains his history regarding SD-6. Sloan found out about Kathryn after her mother supposedly died in the robbery and he came to see Kathryn in the hospital as she recovered from nearly dying. Sloan arranged for her to take all sorts of lessons and classes regardless of what foster home she was living in at the time. Jack realizes that Sloan had been training Kathryn to be a spy since she was six years old with plans to recruit her for SD-6. Jack informs her that she will be transferred to a safehouse that night.  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
Jack sees Sloan again and Sloan informs him that Paul Sullivan Kathryns father was really a KGB Agent. Sloan denies any knowledge of The Contessa but hints at the fact that Kathryn is hiding some deep secrets.Weiss arrives at Kathryn's cell to take her to the safehouse, but first he takes her to a shooting range at Jacks request. Jack informs her that her father was really a KGB agent named Petrov Ravinski. He hands her a gun and tells her to shoot, she does and Weiss then takes her to a safehouse. Jack shows Kendall the target. She was a perfect shot and yet she said she'd never held a gun before.  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
Jack contacts Irina seeking info about the Contessa. She claims not to know anything but she will look into it. When the agents on Kathryns security detail fail to check in, Weiss, Jack and Vaughn go to the safehouse and find a bloody massacre. All their agents were killed and Kathryn was no where to be found.  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
Jack, Vaughn and Weiss look around the property for Kathryn and eventually find her hanging from the edge of the roof. Vaughn goes up and gets her down but her arm is broken and she isn't talking to any of them. They take her to Sydney's house where a doctor shows up and sets and casts her arm. Jack, Syd, Vaughn and Weiss watch the security footage and see Kathryn take down four armed attackers, presumably from The Covenant. Jack explains to Syd how Sloan was training her and that Kathryn must have been trained in firearms and other things at some point and then her memory was erased. He also reveals that Petrov Ravinski was unable to have children and he was really Petrov Khasinau, Alexander Khasinau's brother. There is a good possibility that Alexander Khasinau is Kathryns father, not Petrov Khasinau/Paul Sullivan. Kathryn breaks down blaming herself for all the agents deaths and when asked reveals that she has heard the name Alexander Khasinau before.  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
Kathryn tells Jack and the others how the day before her father committed suicide she heard him, her mother and a man named Alexander Khasinau aruging. She found her father dead in the bathtub the next day. Jack goes to see Kathryn later that night. She's supposed to be sleeping but she's not. Jack explains to her that Kendall and Lindsey want her to undergo a hypnotic regression therapy session and she agrees to it against Jacks advice. He tells her to go to sleep and she asks him if he would stay until she fell asleep and he realizes that she is scared to fall asleep. He agreed and sat beside her bed holding her hand all night long.  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
Kathryn has her regression therapy session and everyone learns that Kathryn was abused and raped as a child while in Foster Care. She became pregnant at the age of 12 and Arvin Sloan arranged to have her baby adopted. She goes back to the night of the argument between her mother, father and Alexander Khasinau and they realize that her memories of the events were not correct. As a child Kathryn watched as Alexander Khasinau killed his brother and stated that it was he who was Kathryn's father, not his brother. When asked about The Contessa she tells them that she and her mother went to Russia and lived there for about a year after her father was killed. On her fifth birthday she remembers Alexander Khasinau showing it to her but she is unable to say what it is. She only saw it for a quick second. She tells them that she and her mother returned to New York and that the night of the robbery she went to the store with her babysitter. Alexander Khasinau was there with her mother and others and they accidentally shot Kathryn and Khasinau forced Irina to leave her behind. Jack finally stops the session and Vaughn takes Kat back to Sydneys.  
  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
Jack shows up at Sydney's that night and explains their new arrangement. Kathryn would stay with Sydney providing she would attend sessions with Dr. Barnette and interview briefings with Kendall and Lindsey along with Weiss. Kathryn is having horrible nightmares and Jack results to drugging her to get her to calm down and sleep. For the second night in a row he sat in a chair beside her bed holding her hand as she slept.  
  
Chapter Fifteen  
  
The next morning Sydney tries to talk to Kathryn about the therapy session but she refuses at first not wanting Sydney to know what she went through as a child. She reveals a little to Sydney and Sydney shows her a photograph of her son, his name is Joshua and he was adopted by a good family as Sloan had arranged. Its decided that in order to protect Joshua they will tell Kendall and Lindsey that he died during childbirth. There aren't any hospital records so they are unable to verify anything. Will arrives home to Syds earlier than expected and is surprised when he is knocked out by Sydney?  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
Syd arrives at home and finds Will unconscious. He wakes up and accuses her of hitting him. Syd can't find Kat and still out of it Will helps her look for her CAT. He finds Kathryn hiding under the kitchen sink holding a baseball bat. Sydney asks Will to stay with Kathryn for about a week because she has to go on a mission and her dad is in switzerland. Will agrees but Syd warns him that she had Regression therapy and will probably have nightmares for quite a while. Three weeks later Syd comes back. She'd been injured on the mission requiring a hospital stay but she had forbidden anyone to tell Kathryn. Syd learns that Weiss has been sleeping in a chair beside Kathryn's bed every night as she sleeps better when he does. Syd goes to see Kathryn before going to bed and wakes up Weiss. Kathryn overhears their conversation realizing that everyone lied to her about Sydney's health and whereabouts during her mission. Two weeks later Kathryn gets her cast off and Jack blows up at her after finding out she agreed to help the CIA out on a mission to Spain and he has to go with her.  
  
Chapter Seventeen  
  
Flashbacks reveal that Kathryn and Jack are going to Spain posing as a father and daughter from South Carolina, Alexia and Samuel Deveraux. Kat is a redhead with blue eyes posing as the fiancée of an undercover CIA agent who accidentally slipped up on his cover story when his boss got him drunk. Jake MacGyver is posing as JD Salenger. During a party the mission is to go in to his boss's lab download satellite plans and implant a virus into the computer. Jack is still angry with her for agreeing to go on the mission, as she is untrained. They get into an argument and Kathryn accuses Jack of being a bad father to Sydney and not to try to act like one to her b/c she doesn't need one. She accuses Jack of being a liar just like Irina.  
  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
JD Salenger and his partner Paul Collins are awaiting the arrival of Alexia and Sam. JD/Jake is surprised when they arrive to find out that Alexia is so young  
  
Chapter Nineteen  
  
Jack explains the situation regarding Kathryn's non-CIA status to Jake/JD. Ruggiero, Jake/JD's sleezeball boss tries to convince Alexia to play the harp for the guests but Kathryn doesn't play the harp. She convinces Ruggiero that shes out of practice but might she play the violin for him instead. Jake/JD and Alexia/Kathryn dance getting ready to make their escape. They get into a fight and Kathryn slaps him running off followed by Jack. Paul Collins keeps Ruggiero from following. They break into the lab and download the satellite plans but Jake/JD is unable to plant the virus. Despite everyone telling them to abort Kat who had seen the code has Marshall talk her through the firewalls and then manually types in the virus coding based on her photographic memory. It works but they are behind schedule and unable to avoid the security cameras. JD/Jake gets them to a room adjacent to the ballroom and they climb over the balcony but Kathryn slips losing her shoes. Jake/JD pulls her up near breaking her arm. They get back into the party unnoticed the mission was a success.  
  
Chapter Twenty  
  
On the plane ride back to LA, Jack watches Kathryn and Weiss sleeping and reflects on how much Kathryn was like Irina but she reminded him of Laura and how Irina's actions had damaged Kathryn's life forever. He flashbacks to the night before. Kathryn had a horrible nightmare and woke up screaming bloody murder about her foster father touching her. He didn't know what to do but Weiss had managed to calm her down. Kathryn wakes up and changes out of her disguise reflecting on Alexia's goodbye with JD/Jake. She wouldn't tell him who she was, but she got her first real kiss when he kissed her goodbye. Jack and Kathryn make small talk and she reveals that she's allergic to strawberries. She has a memory of the year she spent in Russia with her mother. All she remembers is the smell of ammonia and rubber gloves but she's not sure what it means. She also remembers a man who was nice to her. He gave her an Archangel, patrons saint of guardian angels medal. She thanks Jack for staying with her that night many weeks before when he slept by her bed because she was scared to go to sleep.  
  
Chapter Twenty One  
  
Syd picks Katy up after her session with Barnette happy to find that she's in a good mood; the sessions with Barnette have been suprisingly helpful. Kathryn guesses that Kendall has a thing for Barnette, after she saw them together after her session. Syd tries to get Kathryn to talk about her past but Kathryn still refuses not wanting to ruin the relationship she is slowly building with her. Syd takes Kathryn to the ice rink and she and Vaughn and Weiss try to teach her how to skate. Sydney gets a surprise visitor while there, Irina who wants to talk to her about Katy. Sydney refuses to discuss her and finds out that Irina had no idea how Kathryn had lived for the past 12 years. Irina's informant had been misleading her. Sydney tells Irina about Kathryn's past and Sloan's involvement in her life and that Kathryn had a son who died. Irina reveals that when she and Kathryn lived in Russia for a year, unbeknownst to her, Khasinau had been training Kathryn with a more advanced version of Project Christmas. When Irina found out she took Kathryn and ran. Khasinau found her and the incident at the convenience store was an accident. Katarina Derevko (Kathryn's real name) was reported dead to KGB and K-Directorate because it saved her life. Irina plays the emotional card professing her love for both her daughters. Weiss interrupts and Irina gets away before he sees her. He tells her that her father called and had an allergic reaction to strawberries so he would be late the next day. Jack arrives home and finds a package on his doorstep. He opens it finding the book A Little Princess. He knows right away that it is from Irina and opening it she's written on the first page, "she has your spirit." He unfolds the piece of paper marking the page of chapter twelve and is stunned to find that it is a birth certificate, for Katarina Madrid Bristow. Kathryn is his daughter!  
  
Chapter Twenty Two  
  
Jack reflects on Kathryn being his daughter. On how he is going to tell her and how she might feel about it considering she already hates him. Jack tells Sydney and then tells Kathryn the truth. Six years after "Laura Bristow" died, he was on a mission in Madrid when he'd gotten hurt. He had no memory of approximately three days during that time and Irina must have found him and slept with him. Kathryn denies the possibility that she is his daughter saying there must have been a mistake or a mix up of some sort. Upset Kathryn runs off. Jack stops Sydney from going after her. Dr. Barnette calls a little later when Kathryn doesn't show up for her session and they realize that she is missing. She had a tracer on her with they track to Mexico but don't find her. She's been kidnapped. Kathryn awakens in a strange place from a drug-induced slumber. She recognizes one of her captors. He was the one who broke her arm when the safehouse was raided. He puts a gun to her head and despite her protests, he pulls the trigger.  
  
Chapter Twenty Three  
  
Viktor Melnikov stands over the body of a young girl. She's dead; a bullet wound straight to the temple. In LA, its been four days since Kathryn disappeared. Jack contacts Irina who begins looking for Kathryn from her end. Irina tells Jack to ask Sydney about her time in Russia. Jack does and learns that Kathryn was programmed to be a spy by Alexander Khasinau. The next day Dixon pulls Syd and Jack into his office. They've received Intel on Kathryn. Her body was found in Rome dead with a single bullet to the temple. They were also sent photographs and video footage of her murder. Kathryn is dead.  
  
Chapter Twenty Four  
  
Sydney and Jack go to Rome to identify Kathryn's body and bring her home. Vaughn is concerned about Eric who appears to be handling Kathryn's death a little too well considering he knew her better than anyone, even better than Sydney.  
  
Chapter Twenty Five  
  
Jack blames himself for Kathryn's death for not protecting her like he promised. He and Sydney reflect on their relationship with her. Weiss unable to handle things well anymore goes up to the cliffs and remembers the first time he brought Kat there. After her first meeting with Kendall and Lindsey. He told her how his brother had committed suicide there and that he goes there when he needs to remember that life is worth living. After that he brought her there after every meeting she had with Lindsey and Kendall when she needed to unwind.  
  
Chapter Twenty Six  
  
Irina remembers the time she took five year old Katy to the beach and how happy they'd been. She promised they'd go again but she broke that promise. The next day her daughter lay near death in a hospital and she was on a plane bound for Germany. She reflects on her relationship with Katy and Sydney realizing that leaving Kathryn had been harder than leaving Sydney and her feelings regarding Kathryn's hatred towards her and all the things that were never supposed to happen. She replays the events when Jack had met her in Rome and come to tell her that Kathryn was dead. Currently she was sitting disguised in a darken Sedan watching her daughters funeral. Sydney speaks at her funeral and so does Weiss. Jack was at the funeral but did not speak. He lowered her casket to the ground. Once everyone was gone to the wake Irina emerged going to the gravesite to say goodbye to her daughter. She gets a phone call from Sark who tells her that the details of her daughter's death have been exaggerated. She calls Jack to tell him that Kathryn is alive and all he says is "I know."  
  
Chapter Twenty Seven  
  
Two Days Earlier  
  
Kathryn is on the run in some kind of house or facility where she is being held. After her argument with Jack and Sydney she ran out of the building and began walking. She was shot with a tranq dart and kidnapped. She was brought to Mexico then Rome and now Russia where she was questioned about The Contessa and tortured for information that she would not give. It was then that a man named Viktor Melnikov pointed a gun to her head, called her Katarina and pulled the trigger and she blacked out. She awoke hours later surprised to find that she was still alive. She manages to escape and take down several guards before taking off to try and find a way out. She's about to escape through an air vent when a gun is cocked behind her and a man calls her Agent Bristow. It's Sark! He's surprised to discover that the girl isn't Sydney. She passes out and he carries her back to Melnikov. Kat tries to escape again but Sark catches her, he thinks she seems familiar other than her resemblance to Sydney. Sark grills Melnikov about why he has Kathryn. Melnikov's employer wants to know about The Contessa and reveals that Kathryn failed the lie detector test. She does remember the Contessa. Kat is tortured by The Dentist. Sark is there only to make a trade with Melnikov. Diamonds for information.  
  
Three Days Later  
  
Vaughn, Will, Marshall and Weiss are called to the warehouse by Sydney, where she and Jack reveal that Kathryn is not dead. She'd been doubled somehow using Project Helix and her double was killed and attempted to be passed off as Kathryn but Sydney had noticed the day before the funeral that Kathryn was missing a scar. Their suspicions were confirmed when the received Intel from Irina about where she was being held. The Covenant was not responsible for her abduction. They form a plan to extract Kathryn without the CIA's knowledge because they would not have allowed it.  
  
Kathryn wakes up from being drugged unsure of where she is. She's in a bedroom dressed in clean pajamas. Someone walks in the room and she calls him Papa.  
  
Chapter Twenty Eight  
  
Kathryn is surprised to see her Papa. She realizes something is very wrong when he asks Katarina, what the Contessa is. She thought she was safe but she wasn't. Papa was Petrov Khasinau who was supposed to be dead. Will and Weiss are going over the plans for Kat's extraction and Will tells him that Irina will be going along. Weiss is not happy about this but they trust Jacks intuition. Kathryn goes to see Petrov Khasinau and realizes that the whole murder/suicide was just a plan to get Irina and Kat in Russia. Kat claims that people will come looking for her and Khasinau shows her pictures of her murder and funeral. Khasinau shows her a doll named Mishca and says a nursery rhyme and suddenly Kat is in a trance. She was hypnotized as a child and the doll and nursery rhyme are the trigger to bring her back into the hypnotic state where she was no idea what is going on around her. Khasinau shows Melnikov footage of a four year old Kathryn completing a simulation holding a semi-automatic handgun. Under the hypnotic state she will do anything she's told but will only respond to the voice of the person who put her under. Once she's pulled out of the hypnosis she doesn't remember a thing. Viktor took her back to her room with the offer than if she told him what the Contessa was he would see that she remained comfortable though his offer insinuated other things. Kat's rescue team consisting of Sydney, Jack, Will, Vaughn, Weiss and Marshall wait for Irina. Once the plane is in the air Weiss confronts Irina with a gun to her head. If she makes one wrong move, he'll kill her himself.  
  
Chapter Twenty Nine  
  
Kat is sleeping and awakens to find a drunk Viktor Melnikov on top of her attempting to harm her. She tries to fight him and scream but feels frozen and can't move, can't talk, can't breath. Khasinau arrives and pulls Viktor off her, he then puts her in a trance and leads her somewhere. Outside the rescue team is taking their positions. They are getting ready to go in when Will spots Kathryn on the roof walking along the narrow peak. Suddenly the person she's with swings her out holding her over the edge of the roof. A few minutes later he suddenly pulls her back in and they disappear from the roof. They're about to go in when a car pulls up and about twenty minutes later a man leaves. Kathryn is still inside and this time they go in. Melnikov is torturing Kathryn asking her where the Contessa is. Weiss finds her first, Melnikov was in the process of using shock therapy on her. Sydney took down Melnikov and as they make their escape Kathryn is shot in the leg. Jack carries her out but suddenly she pulls his gun and fires three shots. He looks over to see Irina in a heap on the floor but she stands up. Her mask is pulled up revealing half her face. (Irina was supposed to keep her mask on at all times so Kat didn't know her mother was involved.) Melnikov was about to kill Irina but Kat killed Melnikov instead.  
  
Chapter Thirty  
  
The team is on their way to the safehouse. Irina arranges to be extracted before Jack's comes. Kathryn wakes up and pulls on Jacks face to see if he is real. She remembers Irina and tells her to take off her mask, Irina does. Irina tries to talk to her but Kat won't listen and tells Irina that she is not her mother, her mother died when she was five years old. Kat apologizes to Jack for calling him a bad father when they were going to Spain. Kat tells them all that Papa was responsible, that he had never died it had all been a plan to get Kat and Irina in Russia.  
  
Chapter Thirty One  
  
They arrive at the safe house. Irina explains part of her reason for keeping Kathryn away to Jack. If she'd told Jack about Katy when she was born, they all would have been killed including Sydney. Irina tries to talk to Kat but she refuses. She asks Kat what she told khasinau about the Contessa and Kat denies telling him anything. She doesn't know anything. Jack takes the bullet out of Kats leg and sews her up. A helicopter comes and extracts Irina. She'd called Sark for the extraction and Sark reveals that Kathryn lied to Irina about knowing what the Contessa was. Kat failed the lie detector test. She does know what the Contessa is. Lindsey and Kendall meet the team at the landing strip in LA and are surprised to discover Kat is with them. They attempt to place her in protective custody following Devlins orders from before she went missing but she shuts them up by telling them that she knows what the Contessa is. They go back to the JTF.  
  
Chapter Thirty Two  
  
At the JTF the team is debriefed while Kat locks herself in Jacks office with a sketchpad and her doll sophie and a glass of grape juice. Jack talked to Devlin and convinced him to cancel the protective custody order as long as Kat stayed with him. Kat then shows everyone the secret code hidden in her dolls dress and that the Contessa is part of the Romanov Legacy and it is a large rare purple diamond that has been fitted into a tiara. Jack takes Kat to his place and then finds that she was hurt far worse than she let on. She was whipped by a belt and beaten very badly. Her sides ache and it hurts to breath. Jack fixes her as best he can but tells her that she will have x-rays the next day. He asks her if they raped her and she says no. She goes to sleep and Jack wakes her the next morning. They have to go to the JTF, progress has been made on The Contessa.  
  
Chapter Thirty Three  
  
Jack takes Kat to the JTF and she's worried about the reaction she'll get because half the staff went to her funeral. She sees Weiss and tries to talk to him but he doesn't hear her. Sydney takes her to Marshall's office so that she can meet Marshall and Carrie's baby. She was born the day of Kat's funeral and they named her Kate after Kathryn. Carrie asks her if she'll be the baby's godmother Sydney Vaughn and Weiss already agreed but she politely refuses unsure of how long she'll be around. Kat goes to talk to Dixon and Weiss bursts in. No one knows what they found out about the Contessa but Weiss overheard some agents brought in from Langley talking and they mentioned that The Contessa was connected to Rambaldi. In The briefing, Dixon introduces Kat as Kat Bristow. Kat is confused Weiss has been avoiding her and wont even look at her during the briefing. Dixon briefly explains Kats kidnapping and who was responsible and that she did know what the Contessa was. An analyst from Langley explains that they traced the Contessa back to the Romanovs. The Romanovs had it and it was cut into a diamond tiara. Before the Romanovs had it, it belonged to rambaldi. Analysis of Kats doll Sophie, reveals that the material of the dress containing the code was manufactured during Rambaldi;s lifespan and that coding is his. They only found one mention of The Contessa in Rambaldi's works. He referred to the diamond as "the Key" This triggers Carrie's memory who remembers that in Rambaldi's manuscript he made reference to the fact that the key would be explained in scroll 47 which they had assumed meant Page 47, the prophecy page. Now they realize that there is a scroll 47 out there. Kat sees Devlin and confronts him telling him that if he tries to lock her up again, she'll run and they won't ever be able to find her. Devlin confronts Jack with the knowledge that he knows Irina contacted him about Kathryn and wants to know if she had any part in Kats abduction (which she didn't). Jack meets Kat in his office and Kat asks if he is angry because Dixon called her Kat Bristow, she wasn't sure what she wanted to be called because she doesn't know who she is anymore. Jack tells her to get her coat; he wants to take her somewhere.  
  
ALLALIAS.COM PAGE 26 Chaps 1-33 


	35. Chapter Thirty Four

A/N This is an emotional angsty chapter so be forewarned. It came to 12 pages so I ended up cutting it in half and separating it into two chapters so here is chapter 34, chapter 35 will be along shortly after. Please review.  
  
Chapter Thirty Four  
  
"Where are we going?" Kat asked curiously as Jack helped her slip on her jacket. Her shoulder was still giving her problems, which made dressing rather difficult.  
  
"You'll see," he held open the door and reluctantly she followed.  
  
"Eric," Kat grabbed his arm as he passed in front of her. "I've been trying to talk to you all day. I just wanted to tha-"  
  
"Sorry Kat," he pulled his arm away. "I'm really busy right now, I have to do these reports to do and like a dozen calls to make, I'll-I'll talk to you later okay?"  
  
"But.Eric." her voice trailed off as he walked away from her.  
  
"Kat, let's go," Jack steered her towards the elevator.  
  
Eric glanced over at the elevator locking eyes with her just before the doors closed.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
They drove in silence. At first Kat was awake as out of the corner of his eye Jack watched her wipe the tears from her eyes slightly angered at Agent Weiss' rather rude brush off. He knew she was confused about the whole thing and he had to admit that so was he. He found the younger agent to be rather immature at times but he did his job well and was not the type of person to quickly dismiss someone. The next time he looked over at her she was asleep. Her forehead rested against the glass window, her head tilted at an ungodly angle. She was exhausted; she hadn't slept well or long the night before. He could hear her hiccuped cries long into the early hours but didn't go to her. She wouldn't have wanted that. Everything had happened so fast, her rescue, the discovery of The Contessa, all the events of the past three days were pooled together and sometimes he had to stop what he was doing just to realize that it was all real.  
  
His daughter was alive, although, she wasn't happy about being his daughter but at least she was alive. She'd saved her mothers life; the very thought of it perplexed him. Granted she'd had no idea who was under the mask at the time but still. Kat hadn't said a word about Irina's involvement and Jack knew he wouldn't have to tell her not to but in the same token he wanted her to say something to him. He'd felt Kat pull the gun from his gunbelt. She'd tried to cover his ears with her arms as she aimed and pulled the trigger, firing off three quick rounds. Everything seemed as if it were happening in slow motion. He turned looking at Kat her eyes were wild, fearful, full of adrenaline and then he saw Irina. She lay unmoving on the ground and the first thought that had come to his mind was that Kat had killed her mother. Then she lifted her head, her eyes locking with Jacks first. As she stood he could see Viktor Melnikov under her, a bloodied knife lying just inches from his outstretched hand; blood pooled from the holes in his chest. Irina turned to her daughter. Kat's hand shook as she still held the gun pointed at her mother, her face blank in shock. Slowly she'd lowered the gun and Irina pulled down her ski mask, but it was too late. Kat had already seen her.  
  
Kat hadn't told Irina of her knowledge about The Contessa. She'd flat out denied any knowledge of it all together. The image of the first time he'd seen Irina when she'd turned herself into the CIA was burned in his memory. He had no doubt that his daughter's image of seeing her mother for the first time in twelve years would be burned into her memory for all eternity, along with the image of Irina leaving her daughter bleeding to death in the convenience store. When Kat had come to in the van he wasn't sure that she had recognized her mother, that thought hadn't lasted long. He watched the two women staring at each other. Alike in almost every way, the same eyes, same nose, same hair, but so different. He'd seen the hatred in her eyes. He knew Irina had seen it as well. Fury, anger, confusion but most of all hatred. Hatred for the woman who had given her life, hatred for the woman who had abandoned her, hatred for the mother she never really knew.  
  
He'd actually believed Kat when she'd told Irina, that she didn't know what The Contessa was. He knew Irina had believed her as well. Their daughter was a damn good liar; the question was did Irina still believe the lie.  
  
Slowly he pulled the car off to the side of the road. Kat woke as he turned off the engine.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked sleepily rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Come with me," Jack got out of the car and then went to her side to help her out. They were stopped in front of a flower shop and Kat was surprised as Jack walked up to the clerk and purchased two small bouquets of white roses. He handed one to her and took her hand as they crossed the street and stopped just outside two black iron gates. Kat didn't need to read the sign to know where they were. She followed behind him as they weaved in an out of headstones and memorial markers until they reached a newly dug grave. Tears filled her eyes as she read the words on the headstone.  
  
Kathryn Anne Sullivan July 19, 1986 - April 9, 2003  
  
"Rest Now Where Angels Soar"  
  
Jack cleared his throat before speaking. "Kat, Katy, Katarina. You can be anyone that you want now, but you can't be Kathryn Sullivan anymore. You understand?"  
  
Kat bit her lip nodding. Seeing the marker with her name on it; everything seemed so much more real now. Even though she wasn't the one buried in the ground, this girl with her face was. Her life had changed so much in the past four months and she knew in her heart that things would never be the same again. But it was this moment that she realized that everything she thought was real, everything she'd known and believed her entire life was instantly questioned and she wondered if she'd ever learn the truth.  
  
"Kathryn was good to you for a long time," Jack continued. "But she was never real, you tried to make her real but you and I both know that it can't continue. Kathryn was just an alias your mother created."  
  
She understood what he was saying and she bit her lip trying to keep the tears from falling down her cheeks.  
  
"As far as the world knows, Kathryn Sullivan died on April 9. She was seventeen years old and this is where she was buried." He looked over at Kat briefly and then swallowed hard. He placed one of the bouquets of flowers next to the headstone. He awkwardly placed a hand on her good shoulder rubbing it slightly.  
  
"Do you understand what I'm telling you?"  
  
Kat nodded and knelt down in front of the grave. She rearranged the various bouquets of white roses remaining silent.  
  
"I know this is all very confusing for you, but please trust me when I say that you're not the only one who is confused." Jack watched her as she rearranged the roses. There were dozens and dozens of white roses there. Some wilting having sat for several days, others fresh having been left the morning before by Carrie Bowman. "I know how it feels to be betrayed," he offered. "Your mother deceived me just as she deceived you." He watched her fiddle with the flowers, an obvious attempt to keep herself busy. "You don't have to accept me Katarina, but you do have to accept the situation."  
  
Kat nodded and curiously pulled a bouquet of blue roses out of the pile. "Do you know who brought these?" she asked standing.  
  
"No," Jack shrugged and shook his head. "There were only white roses at the funeral."  
  
"Blue roses are my favorite," she said softly. "Only my mother knew that."  
  
Jack watched the flowers fall from her hand as she realized the possibility that they were brought by her mother. He didn't doubt that possibility to be correct.  
  
"Who was she?" Kat asked softly, referring to the girl that was buried there.  
  
"We don't know," Jack shook his head. He reached out and touched her shoulder once more. "We need to go now, it's not safe for you here."  
  
Kat nodded. "She died for me, she died because of me."  
  
"This wasn't your fault, you had no control over the situation. This girl, whoever she was, was as good as dead the moment she came into contact with Petrov Khasinau."  
  
"I know," she nodded. "But she died so I could live, that doesn't make it any easier." Jack began to walk away and she knew it was time to go. She picked up one of the white roses from the bouquet Jack had bought and laid it on top of the headstone. Kissing the tips of her fingers she briefly touched the smooth rock and whispered the only words she could think of, but not ones that could do the girl justice. "Thank You."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Jack began driving back to the JTF but suddenly changed his mind and took an earlier exit. Kat was asleep once more and from her lips came whispers of Cleo. He tried to remember who Cleo was he knew she'd mentioned the name before. Cleo was her cat, he recalled. Although he'd told her they didn't know what had happened to her cat, but it was probably being taken care of by a kind neighbor. In reality The Covenant had killed it when they abducted her four months before.  
  
Kat awoke as the car pulled to a stop once more and she opened the door stepping out. She looked around confused and then looked to Jack following him through the empty fairgrounds to an old carousel. Her fingers trailed along the old ironwrot fence as she moved to stand beside Jack waiting for an explanation.  
  
"Your mother and I, we used to bring Sydney here when she was a little girl, it was her favorite place." He looked over at her seeing the expression on her face at the mention of her mother. "I would have brought you here too, had I known."  
  
She nodded understanding his words.  
  
"You're quiet today," he observed figuring that he was partly responsible as she was alone with him, but there was something else. She didn't have the usual fire behind her eyes, the drive that kept her on her guard. She was empty  
  
She shrugged and pushed open the fence walking up to the old carousel. She stepped up on the platform and circled the ride finding a bench she sat down and waited for Jack to join her. "Why are we here?" she asked. "What's the purpose of this little excursion?"  
  
"We need to discuss something," he sat down beside her. "Your mother came to see Sydney the day before you were taken. Their discussion was the reason why Irina decided to reveal the truth about you, and I. She felt it was important that we both knew the truth."  
  
"Well perhaps she should have kept it to herself-" Kat muttered.  
  
"Her reasons aside, she told the truth." Awkwardly he reached for her hand but she pulled it away staring in the opposite direction.  
  
"Do we really have to talk about this," she asked her voice showing a hint of anger and Jack could almost see the invisible protective shield she'd built around herself go up.  
  
"Yes we do," he stated firmly. "I want you to listen to me. You are my daughter and I am your father. There were signs, similarities, I should have seen them, but I had no reason to doubt that Alexander Khasinau was your father, so I didn't see them."  
  
"What do you want from me?" she cried finally looking at him. "I know this wasn't your fault alright, I don't blame you, so what do you want from me? A stupid piece of paper doesn't make you a father. It's just paper it doesn't mean a damned thing." Jack remained silent allowing her to continue. "I don't have anything left in me to give."  
  
"I know," he said calmly. "I'm only asking for a chance. A chance to earn your trust again, not as Sydney's father, but as your own." She looked to him confused not expecting what he'd said. "You were right, I was never a good father to Sydney. After Laura died, I spent six months in solitaire. My superiors couldn't believe that for ten years, six of those having been spent married, that I didn't know I was married to a Russian spy." Jack stared straight ahead his fists clenched at his sides. "I felt exactly the way you did when you found out about your mother. When I got out, every time I looked at Sydney I saw her mother the woman who'd betrayed me, who'd deceived me. I couldn't raise her, so I hired a nanny. I wasn't around much but when I was it was easier, but I still missed her. When I met you, well you're more like your mother than you know. As Sydney got older, she resented me and my absence in her life more and more and it was too late, I didn't know how to change things."  
  
"It's never too late," Kat interrupted. "Not when you're alive."  
  
"Sometimes it is too late. I was too late to stop Sydney from being recruited into SD-6; I was too late to stop Danny Hecht from being killed. I was almost too late to stop her from being killed herself-"  
  
"But you weren't. You told her the truth, about SD-6 about the CIA."  
  
"I had hoped to recruit her into the CIA myself after college. A desk job, maybe at the Long Island office, somewhere away from SD-6 away from Arvin Sloane."  
  
"Sydney was never cut out for a desk job," she smiled slightly.  
  
"I know," he nodded. "But I could have hoped." He smiled faintly. "But once again, I was too late. Since I told her the truth about SD-6 and her mother, since we took down the Alliance, things are different. We're closer than we've been in a long time."  
  
"Jack, what I said on the plane to Spain, I really didn't mean it, I was just, just angry. I had no right to say what I did and it wasn't true. I was just angry that you didn't have any faith in me. That you thought I couldn't do it."  
  
"You're wrong," he said. "I knew you could do it, that's why I didn't want you to go."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I promised Sydney that I would look after you. I didn't want you to go on that mission, because I knew you'd be good. I didn't want you to enjoy it and want to do it again. I promised Sydney, I promised your mother that I would keep you out of this life-"  
  
"Like she gives a damn," Kat sighed. "What was she doing with you in Russia anyway. Why was she there?"  
  
"You were never supposed to see her," Jack explained. "She was helping to secure your release."  
  
"But of course all she really wanted was to know what The Contessa is."  
  
"No, Katarina," Jack shook his head. "Your mother provided the Intel as to your whereabouts. If not for her, we probably never would have gotten you back-"  
  
"I don't believe you," Kat stated. "Irina Derevko doesn't give a damn about me, because if she did, she wouldn't have left me the way she did. She doesn't care about anyone but herself. She might have the rest of you fooled, but not me. I can see right through her. "  
  
"She explained to me why she did it," Jack said hesitantly not sure how much of the story he wanted to tell. He decided to just tell her the truth, to just tell her everything.  
  
Kat sat in silence as Jack explained to her what had happened. About Project Christmas, how Alexander Khasinau had trained her unbeknownst to Irina as she was continuously sent out on missions and how Irina's informant regarding her daughter had been compromised and was feeding her false information. "If your mother hadn't done what she did, you would probably be working for K-Directorate or The Covenant or who knows by now. In the debriefing you mentioned there was another man there. He wasn't involved with Melnikov or Khasinau?"  
  
"Yeah," she nodded. "He was there but just for a few minutes, he caught me when I tried to escape, he called me Sydney. Kind of a jerk but he wasn't out to hurt me, he didn't know who I was at all."  
  
"What did he look like?"  
  
"Tall, blond, British, cocky as all hell-"  
  
"Mr. Sark?"  
  
"Yeah," she nodded slowly recalling the name. "That was what Viktor called him, what does he have to do with Irina?"  
  
"At one time he worked for your mother, he may still. It's likely that he was her source. Your mother saved your life, and you saved hers."  
  
"Am I supposed to thank her?" Kat asked bitterly. "I should have just aimed that gun a little higher and ended everything."  
  
"Don't say that," Jack shook his head. "Whatever you think of her Katarina, she is your mother, and I know you could never do that."  
  
"Don't underestimate me Jack. She ruined my life," Kat wanted to scream. "She should have just ended it before I was born. Would have saved us all a lot of pain."  
  
"Don't you say that, don't you ever say that," Jack said angrily. "Despite what you think of me, do you really think your sister would have wanted that, do you really think I would have wanted that?" Her face was blank revealing her answer. "Despite your feelings of hatred towards me, don't think that that is what I would want."  
  
"I don't hate you," her voice trembled. "I never meant for you to think that. Yes at times I didn't like you, but I never hated you." Kat stood turning to face him. "You have to understand, I've been on my own most of my life. I've been taking care of myself since I was five-years-old and then all of the sudden, everything's wrong, mixed up and there's this.this. man," her eyes filled with tears and her voice trembled as she spoke. "And he's telling me what to do, like he's my father, but he's not. He's her father, and I was jealous of that. She seemed to have everything that I had missed out on, a real family. As screwed up as it was, it was everything that I had wanted that I had prayed for my whole life. She was giving it to me, She was my family but it wasn't enough. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore but there you were telling me what to do, how to act, how to feel and I got so confused and then you started to remind of him and I got scared and it was just easier to keep you away."  
  
"I reminded you of who?" Jack asked reaching for her hand but she pulled it back wiping the tears from her eyes. She didn't want to answer him, he could see that but he had to know. "Who did I remind you of?"  
  
"It, it was. It was Mr. Caldwell," she blurted out immediately regretting the words as she saw the shocked expression on his face.  
  
"If I've done something.I-" Jack didn't know what to say as he struggled for words unsure of how or why he had reminded her of her former foster father.  
  
"Not in that way," she shook her head ashamed that she'd even said it. "You reminded me of him, but before he started doing things to me." She watched Jack seeing his jaw clench up and his hands tighten to fists at his sides. "He liked me to call him Dad, and he always called me Kathryn, not Kat or Katy always Kathryn, you always called me Kathryn."  
  
Jack watched the tears well up in her eyes again. Her hands shook, her voice trembled; she could barely breath.  
  
"He was tall, like you; he had dark hair it was going gray. Dark eyes, his voice was low, and he was nervous around me. He watched me a lot, what I did, what I said. I liked his wife and she really liked me, I missed my mom so much and she was nice, and I think he resented that." She was beginning to loose control. "His hands," she reached out and opened Jack's palm placing her hand against his. "They were so big, like yours and I remember how he touched me-and-I" She pulled away abruptly about to completely break down.  
  
Her back to him Jack watched her struggle to regain control and then looked to his hands, Kat's look of excruciating pain playing through his mind as she'd held them.  
  
"Look, I know you're not him, but I can't help what I feel," she turned around to face him once more. "Are we done here? Have we put each other through enough pain for one day? Can we just go?" She didn't wait for his answer and walked as quickly as she could manage with the cane back to his car.  
  
"Kat," Jack grabbed her hand as she neared the iron gate. "I need to know why you lied to me last night."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Last night," Jack didn't let go of her hand and he forced her to look him in the eye. "I asked you if they raped you, you looked me right in the eye and you lied to me?"  
  
-----  
  
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Thanks for reading Erin 


	36. Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Five  
  
"Kat," Jack grabbed her hand as she neared the iron gate. "I need to know why you lied to me last night."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Last night," Jack didn't let go of her hand and he forced her to look him in the eye. "I asked you if they raped you, you looked me right in the eye and you lied to me."  
  
She tried to pull her hand away but he wouldn't let her, "Jack-I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"I need to know why," he said. "We're not going anywhere until you tell me why you lied."  
  
"I didn't," she looked everywhere but at him but it was unavoidable and her eyes met his again. "Not exactly."  
  
"Tell me," he asked.  
  
"He didn't do it, but I think he would have. I was asleep and I woke up, Viktor, he was on top of me, he was drunk. He wanted to do it. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. I couldn't move, I couldn't scream, I couldn't breath. Everything that I was supposed to do, I couldn't. I swore it would never happen again, but I couldn't do anything to stop him. I mean I could have stopped him, he was drunk. I'm sure I could have overpowered him but nothing would work. My legs wouldn't kick, my hands wouldn't move. So I pretended like I wasn't even there. I let it happen, I couldn't stop him and then.."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Papa," her voice broke. "I mean Khasinau he came in, and he pulled him off me."  
  
"So it never got that far?"  
  
"No," she shook her head. "The point is I was going to let it happen. I didn't care. You all thought I was dead, you weren't coming, I didn't want him to do it, but I didn't care anymore. I just gave up-"  
  
"Kat it's alright, you were scared, there's nothing you could have done."  
  
"You don't get it," she cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her chin trembled. "I gave up. I told him. He showed me pictures, pictures of my funeral, pictures of you, of Sydney. I tried not to but I thought it didn't matter any more. He broke me. You weren't coming for me. I didn't know what to do. He kept asking me and asking me and asking me and I didn't care. I just wanted him to stop! I wanted it all to stop! And Viktor I was going to let him do it because I didn't care anymore, nothing mattered. I gave up."  
  
She was fighting him now. Sobbing uncontrollably. Her fists pounded his chest, but not hard, she was far too weak and she crumbled to her knees. Jack went down with her; his hands firmly held her shoulders, just so she wouldn't hurt herself. He was confused. He tried to process her words, to understand what she was saying. But was she saying what he thought she was? What had she told Khasinau? But more importantly what did she mean by giving up?  
  
"I gave up!" she screamed. Her pounding fists worked even harder. "I gave up hope, I gave up, I gave up on you." His eyes met hers and he could see the pain and regret in them. She was ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry. I gave up on you, I'm so sorry." Her fists stilled against his chest and her forehead leaned in as she sobbed. "I'm sorry I gave up on you, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Daddy."  
  
Jack stiffened as she apologized to him; her voice was muffled into his jacket but he still heard her words. He tightened his hold on her and she collapsed into his chest. It was awkward at first but his arms relaxed around her and she sobbed into his chest her entire body shaking as she gripped the material of his jacket in her fists.  
  
"I'm sorry Daddy."  
  
"It's alright." He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. "Shhh, It's alright sweetheart."  
  
Her arms stretched around his body holding tight, never wanting to let go. It was this feeling, the same one she'd felt when he'd carried her out of the house in Russia, the same feeling she'd had when he'd held her hand so she could fall asleep after she'd been attacked at the safehouse. She'd felt like he was the strongest man in the world and she was safe. It was the safety she'd craved for the last four months, hell the safety she'd craved for the last twelve years. The safety only a true father could bring.  
  
He held her, rocking her in his arms until her breathing returned to normal and her cries subsided into choked hiccups. She fit in his arms, just right. It was the same as when he'd carried her out of the house in Russia. She was seventeen, but it hadn't felt like that. Whether it was her size or the adrenaline, it didn't matter, in his arms she'd felt like a ten-year- old child, his ten-year-old child. But today she wasn't a ten-year-old child. She was a grown woman, who'd been through and experienced more in her seventeen years than anyone should ever have to. But she was his child. He'd never seen her so damaged like this, so broken. He didn't know she could get like this. The tough exterior she portrayed hid everything, and it was now that he realized just how deep that exterior ran. She was far beyond compartalization. She'd observed a lot in her time. She knew when she was supposed to cry, to laugh, to smile, to show her feelings to others, but most of it was a façade. She was a robot; she didn't know how to feel. She pretended and fooled most people but she didn't know how to truly feel things, to let others know how she truly felt. Over the years she'd built walls around herself, with locked doors and vaults to protect herself from being hurt and they'd never been penetrated until now. She was exposed, vulnerable, raw, and for the first time, Jack saw her true being. Seeing her like she was now, he realized that those walls were beginning to break down. He'd seen it first in Spain. After Agent MacGyver had kissed her good bye, she'd been lost in her own little world. She was opening up and she was beginning to learn how to feel again.  
  
Several minutes later she slowly pulled away her chin still trembling, her eyes red and swollen looking apologetic. Jack helped her stand, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and wiped her cheeks. "You're all right sweetheart, you made it." Her face crumbled again and she flung her arms around his neck. Jack held her close, kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back lightly carefully avoiding the painful abrasions. "When you're ready, I need to know what you told Khasinau about The Contessa," he said softly.  
  
She nodded, her face muffled in his shirt as she struggled to stop crying. Eventually she pulled back turning away from him. When she faced him again, she was composed, her cheeks dry, her eyes clear. She gave him a brief smile and adjusted his collar. Jack took her hand and led her to a bench just outside the gate. He sat down and waited for her to begin.  
  
Kat studied her hands for a long while before speaking. "After Khasinau came in and pulled Viktor off me, he said he wanted me to go somewhere with him. After that it's a total blank. The next thing I knew, we were on the roof and I was walking along the peak. I don't know how I got from that room to the roof. I don't remember taking those steps. There are a few things that are just blanks to me. I don't know what happened. I don't know how I got that burn on my arm. I just looked down and it was there. I don't know how I ended up with paint all over my clothes; I don't know how I got on the roof. I was just there, with Khasinau." She swallowed hard picking at her fingernails before continuing. "When I first saw him.. I woke up and I was in this room. I had new clothes on and I was in a bed, at first I thought you'd come for me and I was safe. And he came in, I still thought I was safe. He was my father, my Papa. And my Papa wouldn't ever hurt me right. I didn't understand, I watched him die but there he was, he was alive and he was real-I touched him, and he kissed my cheek. It was like a dream come true. Then he asked me about The Contessa and I knew he wasn't there to save me. He wasn't there to help me at all. He just wanted what they all wanted I wouldn't tell him, he tried to make me but I wouldn't, I couldn't." She watched as Jack slipped his hand in hers and held it gently as he waited for her to continue.  
  
"When we were on the roof, it was like I just opened my eyes and I was there, but in reality, I never closed my eyes. I was in the middle of the peak facing him, he was holding out his hands to me. There was a lot of wind and I almost fell but I didn't. He told me to tell him what The Contessa was and he'd help me walk to him. I said no. I wouldn't tell him what it was. I'd rather die than tell him. He walked towards me; I thought he was going to help me but he grabbed my hands and knocked me off the roof. He held me there. He said he'd pull me back up if I told him, but I said no, I couldn't. He let go of my one hand and I thought I was going to fall. Then he started to tell me about Sydney. She was at home, in her room reading Alice in Wonderland. She was drinking coffee and Will was there, he was downstairs watching a hockey game with Vaughn. The leafs were winning. He said he'd kill her if I didn't tell him right then. I begged him not to but he wouldn't listen. He took out his phone and he dialed and he told the person on the other end the target was Sydney Bristow. He told them to complete the plan. I didn't think he'd actually do it but I-so I told him. I didn't know it was a bluff, I didn't know you were there." She paused momentarily to catch her breath.  
  
"What did you tell him?"  
  
"I-I lied. I didn't know what else to do so I told him it was a book that's all I knew that it was just a book. I swore that's all it was. He believed me. He pulled me up and then he was gone and I was left with Viktor. He wanted to know where it was now. I told him that I didn't know. He didn't believe me, so he beat me." She looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't let him hurt Sydney so I lied. I thought when Papa found out that I lied, he might have just killed me. I almost wished that he would. No one was waiting for me; no one was coming for me. Nothing seemed to matter anymore."  
  
Jack put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against his chest. "You're alright now, you're safe," he whispered. "You made it."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "Thank you for everything."  
  
"Your welcome," he managed a quick smile.  
  
"Not just for yesterday, or today," she shook her head. Her voice shook as she continued and said the words that were hard for her to say. "He was never a real father to me. Now, I think most of my memories aren't really memories at all. Just vague pieces I've put together over the years and used my imagination to fill in the blanks. Jack, you've been more of a father to me in the past four months than he ever was in the four years that I had him. Maybe I'd like that to continue."  
  
If there was a slight hesitation in his voice, he hoped she didn't notice. He knew it had taken a lot for her to say that, to leave herself open to be hurt, but he had no intentions to do that. "So would I," he nodded solemnly.  
  
She smiled briefly but her expression turned sour. "I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but-"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I need to see Arvin-"  
  
"No, absolutely not," Jack shook his head.  
  
"Jack come on please-"  
  
"No, I will not allow you anywhere near that man-"  
  
"Listen to me," she pleaded. "Jack please. I have questions, that only he can answer. I need answers, I need to know why."  
  
"Arvin Sloane is not the kind of man who will give you answers just because you want them. He will only give you answers if it serves to be in his best interest or if it hurts someone he dislikes. And I am not willing to take that chance. I will not allow you to take that chance."  
  
"And what if you're wrong." She sighed rubbing her eyes wearily. "What if he'd tell me something that he wouldn't tell you. Jack, I can't spend the rest of my life wondering why, or how, or when, or what his plans were for me. I need to see him face to face. If he won't tell me than I will have to accept that, I'll have to find my answers elsewhere but I have to at least try-"  
  
"Katarina you don't understand-"  
  
"No Jack, you don't understand," she shook head. "You chose this life-You chose to do what it is that you do. I never had a choice; I never had the chance to make a decision for me. People have been molding me into who knows what since I was four years old and I just want it to stop. I need this. I need to know if my son is in any danger. What if you came with me?" she suggested. "What if you came so that I wasn't alone but you can't talk, you can only listen. Please," she begged. "I really need this Jack."  
  
"I'll talk to Devlin," he relented. "I'll see what I can do."  
  
"Thank you," she said gratefully.  
  
"We should get going," he stood. "I still have to get you to medical services."  
  
"Jack," Kat caught his hand and pulled him back to the bench. "Before at the cemetery, you told me that I could be anyone that wanted."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"When I was in Russia, I started to remember things. Jack, I remember being Katarina."  
  
"What do you remember?"  
  
"Just being her. Mom called me Katy, Papa called me Katarina, Alexander called me Katarina, and someone. someone called me Katya, but I don't remember who that was. I just remember being her, but that was before I was Molly Stevenson, Elizabeth Mitchell, Elena Roderiguez and Kathryn Sullivan. We moved around a lot before New York; Canada, Chicago, Ohio, Mexico. We got around a lot," she smiled. "But if it's alright with you, I'd like to be Katarina again. Katarina Bristow, Kat."  
  
"That would be fine," he said softly and she thought she saw a hint of a smile on his face.  
  
"Good," she smiled. "Let's-" she was interrupted by his cell phone.  
  
"Bristow. Hi Sydney, yes we're heading back now. Yeah she's fine, everything is fine." Jack stood and they began walking back to the car. "We saw him before we left, roughly and hour ago. Well let me know when you find him. See you in a bit. Bye honey."  
  
"Who were you talking about?" Kat asked as they neared the car.  
  
"Agent Weiss," Jack explained. "He left the office, he's not answering his phone, no one can seem to get a hold of him."  
  
"Oh," she said concerned. She was about to get in the car but stopped. "Jack?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Will you take me somewhere first?"  
  
"Sure." He started to get in the car and then stopped. "Katy?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm really proud of you."  
  
She didn't respond but Jack saw a slow smile trace her lips as she got in the car. Maybe, just maybe, they had a chance.  
  
Please Give feedback if you want more!!!!! 


	37. Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Six  
  
Jack pulled the car to a stop and looked over at Kat.  
  
Her eyes met his. "He'll drive me back okay."  
  
"Alright," he agreed. "I want you back within the hour, you still have to see Medical Services."  
  
"I will," she nodded and got out of the car. "Thanks Jack." She waited until he'd pulled away before she walked to the bench  
  
"What are you doing here?" Weiss asked slipping on his sunglasses.  
  
"Looking for you."  
  
"How'd you know this was where I would be?"  
  
She shrugged, "I just knew." Kat sat down beside him. "What's going on Eric?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Come on Weiss, you've been avoiding me like the plague all day. Every time I try to talk to you, you've either ignored me or given me the brush off."  
  
"Kat-"  
  
"All I wanted to do was thank you." She looked at him expecting him to say something but he said nothing, and that hurt.  
  
"Look I know things are complicated, the last week has been a complete nightmare but Eric, I thought we were friends. Was I wrong?"  
  
"No, no, no," he said exasperated and stood up pacing the ground in front of her.  
  
"Then what is it?" she cried out tears springing to her already red and swollen eyes.  
  
"You were dead!" he screamed out with such rage it scared even him. It scared Kat too and he watched her shrink back onto the bench. "You were dead. I went to your funeral; I stuck you in the ground. Do you have any idea how hard that was? One minute you were there and the next you were gone, God- the things that I said-"  
  
"I know," she interrupted him then spoke more softly. "I know. I heard everything you said."  
  
"What? How?"  
  
"Khasinau," she explained. "He wanted to make sure I believed that no one would be coming for me. He made me watch a video recording of the funeral. I heard everything that you said, for what it's worth, thank you."  
  
Weiss didn't say anything for several minutes as he watched her crying in front of him. She hadn't even tried to hide it. She never had to try and hide it with him. "I watched them kill you Shiner. Melnikov put a gun to your head and he pulled the trigger, God-"  
  
"I know," she whispered and reached out and took off his sunglasses revealing the red and swollen eyes that he had been hiding. "You grieved for me; you cried for me, I know. And I hate that you went through that." She thumbed away a tear that had sneaked its way out of his eye. "Eric, you're my friend. You're the best friend I've ever had. You never judge me. You don't have any expectations for me to live up to. I can just be me and if I could change what happened, I'd do it in an instant."  
  
"When I saw you, lying there on that table, I swear I thought you were dead," he said. "I thought we were too late, and then you opened your eyes."  
  
"I thought you were a dream," she confessed. "I dreamt it so many times that I couldn't decipher what was reality anymore. I dreamt you came for me. Sometimes it was Sydney or Mike or Will but mostly it was you. When you did come, I couldn't believe it was really happening."  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"I don't know," she shrugged kicking the dirt with the tip of her shoe. "Maybe you're my knight in shining armor," she teased. Weiss laughed along with her. "Seriously Eric, I don't know. When I thought of it, you were just the first person who came to mind the person who knew me best. You and Jack," she added hesitantly. "Does everyone know?"  
  
"That he's your father?" he asked and then nodded in confirmation.  
  
"Unreal huh," she sighed.  
  
"Not really," he shook his head and nearly laughed seeing her shocked expression. "Come on Kat, you and Jack Bristow are like two peas in a pod, you're exactly alike. I'm surprised no one guessed it sooner."  
  
"We are not," she protested.  
  
"You are," Weiss continued. "You know Jack Bristow--I mean the guy is stone cold. Sometimes I'm surprised he actually has a heart beating in his chest, but he would do anything for Sydney and I mean anything. Kat when it happened, when we thought you were dead, he was pretty messed up. He blamed himself for not protecting you, before he found out you were alive, I thought he might lose it."  
  
"Really?" she asked surprised.  
  
"Really," he nodded. "I think one of the hardest things he did was trust your mother, but he did it because he knew that it would save you."  
  
"I still can't believe she didn't have anything to do with it," she shook her head.  
  
"Kat, I watched her. She didn't do one thing out of place the entire time she was with us. There's no way she was responsible for anything that happened to you."  
  
"Maybe not directly," she sighed. "So, are you still angry with me?"  
  
"I was never angry with you kid," Weiss sat down beside her. "I was angry at myself for believing that you were really gone. At first I didn't want to believe that you were gone. I should have stuck with that theory and I didn't. I was afraid of getting too close, I didn't want to loose you again."  
  
"What else were you supposed to believe Eric.." Her voice trailed off.  
  
"I don't know," he shrugged. "Kat, I got you this awesome yoyo I mean stellar. Awesome find, hot pink, the old wood, one of a kind-"  
  
"Cool," she grinned. "So where is it?"  
  
"Only one problem," he sighed. "I threw it into the Pacific."  
  
"You threw into the Pacific?" she asked confused.  
  
"Yeah, it's somewhere," he sighed pointing to the edge of the cliff.  
  
"Well, it's the thought that counts," she laughed.  
  
Weiss laughed, "only you." He grew silent for a moment. "In Russia, when you pulled that gun-"  
  
"I know," she nodded. "When I saw her-I thought I'd missed."  
  
"But you didn't."  
  
"No," she shook her head. "But if I had missed and I'd hit her instead, lots of peoples lives would have been a hell of a lot easier."  
  
"I wouldn't lie to you by telling you that wasn't true, but what about Sydney. How do you think she would have felt knowing that her mother was dead?"  
  
"Doesn't matter anyway, I didn't miss. Eric, I killed a man," her voice was barely above a whisper and he had to lean in to hear.  
  
"Kat, he was trying to kill you, kill her, it was self defense," he tried to reason with her.  
  
"Still," she shook her head. "I ended his life. He had a family, a mother, a father, siblings, maybe even a wife and child, and I took all that away to save her." She looked at Weiss and he could see that she was crying again. "I'm not really sure I know how to deal with that."  
  
"Just one day at a time Shiner," he squeezed her hand sympathetically. Viktor Melnikov had deserved what he'd gotten but Kat had ended his life and Weiss knew that she would carry that guilt with her for the rest of her life. "How's your leg?" he asked standing up.  
  
"Better," she shrugged and used the cane for support to stand. "Come here," she said beckoning him towards her with her index finger. He approached her and leaned down far enough so she could kiss his cheek. "Thank you," she said softly.  
  
"Hey," Weiss frowned pulling back. "You play dead for nearly two weeks and all I get is a little peck on the cheek. "Come give me some sugar," he held out his arms.  
  
It was all she needed and she flew into his arms. Weiss held her close blinking the tears from his eyes and cursed himself for the distance he'd created. "That's what I like," he said softly as she squeezed him tighter. "Lot's of sugar." As she squeezed him tight, he thought back to what she'd said about he being her best friend and he had to admit that she was right and the feeling was mutual. Whether it was circumstance or just who they were, both of them had felt a connection to each other. He'd told her things that he could never imagine telling another person. Secrets, fears, hopes and dreams, stuff he could never tell Vaughn, though they'd known each other for years. Who'd have ever thought that the one person he never had to hide from, the one person who accepted him for everything that he was, the one person who was his best friend, would be seventeen year old girl. "Lot's of sugar," he repeated with a smile and rubbed her back lightly.  
  
Kat froze as his hand touched the bandage and one of the many large bruises nearly bringing tears of pain to her eyes.  
  
"What's this?" he asked looking over her shoulder as he raised the back of her shirt and peaked under the large bandage that covered most of her lower back. "What the hell is this?" he asked leaning over to get a better look.  
  
"Battle wound," she tried to joke wincing as his fingers came into contact with one of the welts. "Eric it's fine really," she sighed pulling her shirt down.  
  
"The hell it is, you've had this the whole time?"  
  
"Eric, I said it was fine alright, now leave it alone," she said drawing out her words to make a point.  
  
"Okay," he nodded. "I should probably get you back anyway."  
  
Kat checked her watch, "can't we stay just a little longer?" she asked sitting back down on the bench.  
  
"Sure, a little while," he agreed and sat down beside her.  
  
"Good," she was relieved. "I have to see medical services and Lindsey wants to grill me again when I get back." She stretched out her injured leg on the bench and rested her head on Weiss' shoulder. "Like he hasn't done it enough, same questions, he's going to get the same answers."  
  
"Want me to sit in with Lindsey?" he asked putting his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Nah, I can handle him," she sighed sliding down against him and resting her head on his chest. "What would I do without you?" she murmured closing her eyes.  
  
"Get a boyfriend," he teased moving her hair aside.  
  
Kat cracked one eye open. "Nah, I've got my teddy bear," She grinned and lightly pinched his cheek, snuggling down against him. "We need to get you a girlfriend, is what we need to do."  
  
"You know I think that new girl in analysis likes me. You know the tall blond, great legs."  
  
"Her name is Mariah, she's married and she's 23, too young for you," Kat pointed out.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Met her this morning."  
  
"Great, thanks for sinking my hopes," he sighed. They were silent for several minutes before he spoke again. "Kat, you're my best friend too," he whispered.  
  
"I know."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Sark stood on the balcony of his home in Italy sipping his wine slowly, hoping the red liquid would lull him to sleep. Since he'd arrived in Rome the night before, he'd been on edge. Something about Irina's daughter was bothering him. He'd seen her face and thought she was Sydney. Upon closer examination it was clear that she wasn't her sister.  
  
Even now he marveled at the likeness. There were only four things that made the two girls stand apart. Her smaller stature and body structure. The darker dash of freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose and one that stood out just millimeters above her upper lip. Her lips were thinner more like her fathers and her eyes. She had her mother's eyes. Shades darker than Sydney's but with that coldness and piercing stare that could only have come from one woman. Irina Derevko.  
  
He sensed there was more than just a family resemblance. There was a fire in her that hadn't been calmed yet. An unbreakable spirit that called out to him.  
  
She impressed him.  
  
She had no training but still she would not break. She would not give in to the physical torture she'd been subjected to. Melnikov hit her hard. He'd wanted her crying on the floor but she looked at him standing her ground with clear eyes and blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. She reminded him of someone he'd once known She reminded him of Sydney. Not the Sydney she was now. The one before her double agent status had begun to take its toll, the person she was before he'd replaced her best friend with Alison Doren.  
  
In all the time he'd worked with Irina, she'd never mentioned a second daughter. She wouldn't tell him much about her and he didn't press Irina either. They both knew he would find out through his own vices. He had a mole within the CIA. A mole for The Covenant and he would contact him for information.  
  
But not just yet.  
  
Okay, you know the drill. Feedback and the quicker the next chapter comes E 


	38. Chapter Thirty Seven

Authors Note: If anyone wants PM's when Redemption is updated let me know!  
  
Thank you everyone for the reviews. A lot of people have requested some sisterly bonding and I promise its coming up in the next few chapters.  
  
Halycona: Oh it'll end eventually lol. We're around the halfway mark (of course there is a sequel planned. Well if people want one anyways lol)  
  
Anna: Originally I wasn't going to write Kat at medical services but then I had to lol. So just a little tidbit you might find humorous  
  
Chapter Thirty Seven  
  
From the moment she'd entered into their lives, Sydney knew things would never be normal again. Finding out you had a half-sister nearly eighteen years after she'd come into existence was not something one could easily wrap their head around. Finding out four months later that she wasn't your half sister but the product of both your parents was even more difficult to comprehend. Especially when your parents were CIA Agent Extraordinaire, Jack Bristow and #4 on the FBI's most wanted list, Irina Derevko.  
  
Sydney had been going over the files on Rambaldi since mid-afternoon. She'd been overjoyed when they originally determined that Kat was not the woman in Rambaldi's prophecy. Now here she was re-analyzing every piece of data they had on him in an attempt to gain more information on scroll 47, The Contessa and "the key" and her sister was dead smack in the middle of it. Rambaldi had been a constant pain in her ass for the last two years now and it seemed like it would never end.  
  
"Dad?" Sydney looked up seeing her father approach her desk. "Where's Katy?"  
  
"She's fine," Jack sat next to Sydney. "She's with Agent Weiss, he should be returning her shortly."  
  
"Good," Sydney nodded. "Weiss took everything pretty hard, hopefully she can get through to him."  
  
"I believe that was her intent," Jack lightly tapped the report Sydney was reading with his finer. "Have you made any progress?"  
  
"Not yet, no," she pushed the file away in frustration. "Analysis went through everything when we first found Katy to see if she had any connection to Rambaldi and his prophecy. They found nothing. Yet here we are once again."  
  
"I understand your frustration Sydney, but it is too early to determine if your sister even has a connection to Rambaldi," Jack's voice was steady and controlled but Sydney detected his hidden frustration. "It seems more likely that Alexander Khasinau was just using her to pass along the information."  
  
"But what purpose did it serve-"  
  
"We have a lead," Vaughn approached Sydney's desk and handed both Jack and Sydney a file before sitting on the edge of her desk. "Before his death Alexander Khasinau rented a safety deposit box at a high security bank in Cairo. Records show the contents of the box are documents. Hopefully scroll 47. Kendall wants us to go in, plane leaves in a couple hours. Where's Kat?"  
  
"She's-there," Syd nodded in her sisters direction as Kat and Weiss entered the rotunda, both seemingly at ease and she decided they'd settled their differences.  
  
"Hey guys what's up?" Weiss greeted them.  
  
"We're going to Cairo," Vaughn explained.  
  
Jack caught the attention of a passing Agent. "Agent Roberts, can you please see that Miss. Bristow makes it to Medical Services safely and then bring her back here when she's finished."  
  
"Yes Agent Bristow," he nodded and stood off to the side waiting for Kat to follow him which grudgingly she did but not before shooting Jack a dirty look.  
  
"Kendall wants to see us in the conference room," Vaughn stood and walked towards the conference room followed by Sydney and Weiss.  
  
"Agent Weiss," Jack called out. "Could I speak to you for a moment?"  
  
"I'll be right there," Weiss nodded to Vaughn and Sydney and then followed Jack into a corner hallway for privacy.  
  
Jack turned to face Weiss, his arms crossed over his chest and got right to the point. "Is there something going on between you and my daughter Mr. Weiss?"  
  
Weiss opened his mouth but no words came out.  
  
"Need I remind you that she is seventeen-"  
  
"Agent Bristow, are you insinuating that my relationship with Kat is.. unethical?"  
  
Jack didn't say anything but his face told Weiss that was exactly what he was saying.  
  
"I see," he sighed irritatedly. "Agent Bristow, Kat is my friend, a good friend. Nothing more and nothing less than that."  
  
"Good," Jack glanced around and then lowered his voice even more. "On the mission to Spain, when she had that nightmare, what did you do?"  
  
Weiss looked at him blankly. "What do you mean?"  
  
"It was a difficult one," Jack pressed him and Eric could see that he was uncomfortable even asking him. "You held her hand yes, but what else did you do?"  
  
Weiss kept his smile hidden. This was a rather unexpected turn of events. One minute Jack was accusing him of having an inappropriate relationship with Kat and the next he was asking for help in dealing with her nightmares. "I thought she wasn't having them anymore."  
  
"She had one last night, I couldn't help her," Jack admitted gruffly. When Eric still made no move to tell him Jack turned on his heel to walk out of the corridor.  
  
"Jack wait," Weiss stopped him from opening the door and mumbled something barely audible.  
  
"What?" Jack asked crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
Weiss stared at his shoes and quietly repeated his words.  
  
"Agent Weiss would you like to share with the rest of the class?"  
  
"I said I sing to her," he whispered loudly in frustration.  
  
Jack had to hold back the smile that was threatening to pass his lips as he watched Agent Weiss' face begin to turn a brilliant shade of red. "You sing to her?" he repeated slowly.  
  
"Yes," he nearly shouted in exasperation unable to believe that he was actually revealing this to Jack Bristow.  
  
"Anything in particular?" he asked.  
  
"Depends on the nightmare," Weiss sighed. "If it's about her mother, she likes The Beatles. Show tunes for pretty much everything else."  
  
"You know show tunes?" Jack asked incredulously.  
  
"I grew up on them," he explained sheepishly. "Rub her back and sing quietly and it calms her down. Do it long enough and she'll fall right back asleep, maybe even sleep through the night if you stay with her."  
  
Jack nodded and turned to open the door.  
  
"Jack," Weiss stopped him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow."  
  
Jack shot him a questioning look.  
  
"From The Wizard of Oz," he explained. "It's her favorite."  
  
"I see, well thank you," he nodded and left the corridor.  
  
Weiss leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his hair. God help him if Jack Bristow ever told anyone that he could sing.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Jack strode through the rotunda and took the stairs down to medical services. How ridiculous was this. Each door he went through slammed shut behind him. As he walked quickly down the long corridor anyone who saw him steered clear, the expression on his face and the set of his jaw told them that he was on the warpath. Jack barreled into Medical Services and found exactly who he was looking for.  
  
"You threatened to stab the med tech?" he said coldly, his voice calm and controlled despite the anger and annoyance he felt.  
  
"He wanted my blood!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"So I don't like people taking my blood and he wouldn't let me do it! He stuck me four times and he wanted to try again. I don't think so!" Kat eyed Jack innocently. "Besides I never threatened him. All I said was that if he came near me again, I'd show him what it was like."  
  
Jack closed his eyes sighing in frustration before turning to the doctor who was changing the bandage on Kat's wounded leg. "Did you get the blood?"  
  
The doctor shook his head obviously annoyed, the girl had scared the poor med-tech to death and it was only his second day on the job.  
  
Jack spotted the sterile syringe on a metal table and picked it up. He straddled the stool and quickly tied an elastic around Kat's upper arm. He tapped her arm lightly seeing the evidence of the techs' previous attempts and found a vein. Cleaning it with an alcohol wipe, he slipped on a pair of rubber gloves before slowly inserting the needle into her arm. She winced as the needle burned into her arm and tried to pull away but Jack gripped her arm tightly holding it in place. He filled several vials before withdrawing it.  
  
"Done."  
  
"I could have done it myself," she said under her breath.  
  
"How much longer?" he asked the doctor.  
  
"She's almost done," the doctor picked up Kat's chart. "Broken toes and fingers, sprained wrist, broken nose, cracked and bruised ribs, bruised kidney, lungs and muscles. Her back should heel nicely though, root canals when the swelling in her mouth goes down and I am worried about her jaw but again we won't know anything until the swelling goes down. She should be off the cane in a week or so, we're just waiting on the x-rays of her face to ensure all the other bones are in place.  
  
"Good," he nodded. "Call me when she's cleared."  
  
Jack turned to exit the cubicle but stopped.  
  
"Katarina?"  
  
"Yes Jack?"  
  
Jack stared at her stone faced. "Be nice!" he ordered.  
  
"Yes Jack."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Jack stepped out of the shower and quickly toweled off before pulling on an old pair of sweat pants. Kat had fallen asleep in front of the television and he'd taken that as a sign to take a shower. He began shaving and was nearly finished when the sound of a crash resonated throughout the entire apartment and he nicked himself. He grabbed a gun from its hiding place under the bathroom counter and carefully made his way into the kitchen. Turning the corner, he raised the gun and pointed it at the person in the kitchen.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Kat said angrily.  
  
Jack eyed the broken glasses and dishes surrounding her feet. "What happened?" he asked setting his gun on the counter.  
  
"She happened," Kat angrily kicked a small box towards him sending a spray of glass in his direction. "It was on the front step."  
  
Jack picked up the box by the edges. He didn't even have to guess at who sent it as lining the bottom were old photographs of Kat and Irina.  
  
"Why is she doing this?"  
  
"Irina Derevko always has a motive. She's playing games for your sympathy. Her reasons are always her own, whatever benefits her. Don't move," Jack retrieved his shoes from the hallway closet and slipped them on.  
  
"Well she's not going to get it. She can go to hell for all I care," Kat shouted. "Jack, I'm sorry about the mess,'" she appologized and Jack noted that her hands were still shaking from absaloute fury. "I'll clean it, I don't know what happened, I just got so mad-"  
  
"No, you're not wearing any shoes, just stay put." Jack treaded through the broken glass and ceramic. He reached her and lifted her into his arms and then deposited her in the hallway. "It's late, why don't you go to bed."  
  
Kat nodded. "Could you just get rid of those pictures? Burn them for all I care, I just don't ever want to see them again."  
  
"Sure," he nodded. "Just get some sleep."  
  
Jack waited until she'd retreated into his office, which was currently doubling as her temporary bedroom before he turned and surveyed the mess before him. Every single plate and bowl he owned was currently in shards on the kitchen floor. Ignoring the mess for a moment he picked up the box of photographs and took the top few thumbing through them. There weren't many photographs in the box, and Jack suspected that there were very few pictures of Kat and Irina together in existence at all.  
  
Although Kat was presently the mirror image of Sydney but with her mothers eyes and her mothers hair, as a child she'd more resembled Jack. Her hair had been a dark auburn, which had darkened over the years and she reminded Jack instantly of his younger sister. Leaning against the counter he flipped through them and couldn't help but wonder if Kat had been in his and Sydney's lives all those years, how different things would be. Would her presence have changed him into being a better father to Sydney all those years ago? He considered this as he cleaned up the mess. He usually wasn't one to dwell on the past but these particular thoughts had been bothering him ever since he found out Kat was his daughter. In a perfect world Sydney would have never have grown up without a mother. In a perfect world, Kat would never have been put through the challenges she'd faced. In a perfect world he'd have never been deceived and betrayed by the woman he'd loved. But in a perfect world, if everything had stayed on track and gone the way it was supposed to and Laura was still in their lives, Kat would have never existed and Sydney might never have become the strong, independent and courageous woman that she was today.  
  
The light in his office was still on after he'd cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. Grabbing the medical supplies he would need to change Kat's bandages he knocked lightly on the door before entering.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked seeing Kat sitting behind his desk, the drawer that he usually kept locked was half-open.  
  
Most people would have looked guilty with their hand caught in the cookie jar, but not Kat. She leaned back in the chair her arms crossed over her chest studying him; challenging him. He met her gaze holding his own.  
  
"You're still in love with her aren't you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Reviews? Feedback? Likes or dislikes? I'd love to know!  
  
Okay the ending of this chapter sucks but it was getting way too long so I had to chop it in half. But I hope you liked. 


	39. Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Eight  
  
"You're still in love with her aren't you." It was more of an accusation than a question.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You're still in love with Irina," Kat repeated shaking her head and turned over a photograph to show him. It was an older one of him and Laura. One he usually kept locked up in his desk, one of the few he'd just never been able to throw away. They were both smiling happily, their arms around each other. They were the very essence of a young couple in love.  
  
"Kat-"  
  
"I didn't realize before but now I do, now it makes sense. That's why you accept her faults so easily. You've forgiven her."  
  
"I've not forgiven her Katarina, don't judge what you do not know, nor do you understand."  
  
"She still loves you too," Kat said softly and stood up. She rounded the desk still holding the photograph in her hand. "She's still in love with you," she laughed bitterly.  
  
"You're wrong."  
  
"No," she shook her head sadly. "I'm not."  
  
"Kat-"  
  
"From the moment I met you I thought you were familiar. Your eyes, your face, there was something I recognized but I didn't know you." Kat studied his mannerisms trying to judge how he was reacting to the intrusion upon his personal life but as always Jack Bristow gave nothing away. "I thought maybe it was because you were Sydney's father, and then everything happened and I forgot. But I remember now. I've seen this picture before."  
  
Jack looked at her curiously waiting for her to continue.  
  
"When I was little I was playing in my mom's room and I found the photograph hidden somewhere. She must have freaked. She made me promise never to tell anyone about it. I must have been three nearly four," her voice shook slightly as she replayed the past events in her mind. "I asked her about the man in the picture. She told me he was someone special, someone who was very special to her and that one day I would get to meet him. I remember looking at that photograph for hours. Papa wasn't around, I'm remembering more now," she sighed. "He wasn't around much at all in that year before he supposedly died. I'd sneak in and find the photograph. I used to pretend that man was my father, I missed him. I used to talk to him and pretend he was Papa. He looked like he really loved her." Kat handed the photograph to him. "What was so special about this day?" she asked.  
  
"She has the same one?"  
  
"Probably still does."  
  
Jack walked to his desk and looked at the photo once more before he slipped it back into the drawer and locked it. "It was our anniversary," he explained. "Ten years since the day we met. A few weeks before Laura died."  
  
"So are you?"  
  
"Stop trying to analyze me," Jack sat down on the pullout. "Let me see your arm."  
  
Reluctantly she obeyed and sat next to him, pulling up her sleeve. "Either you do or you don't, it really is not that difficult-Oww! Jack!"  
  
"Stop baiting me," he said through clenched teeth as he wound the gauze tightly around the burn on her arm; a little tighter than it should be. "My personal life is of no concern to you."  
  
"Alright," she jerked her arm away. "Could you loosen up a bit?"  
  
Jack said nothing but pulled her arm back and unwound the bandage before redoing it looser. They sat in silence as Jack changed the bandages on her back and leg before tending to the smaller ones on her face.  
  
"Did you see Carrie and Marshall's baby?" Kat tried to make small talk with him as he dabbed an alcohol wipe at a large cut on her cheekbone.  
  
"No," Jack shook his head. "A girl was it?"  
  
"Yeah," Kat held her arm out as Jack secured a tensor bandage around her wrist to stabilize it while she slept. "They named her Kate after me. I can't imagine why," she laughed lightly.  
  
"Sydney told me." He finished pinning the bandage before looking at her. "She said they asked you to be the baby's godmother but you said no, why?"  
  
Kat shrugged. "I might not be around, that would be kind of a waste of a godparent. I could die tomorrow and she'd have never even known me."  
  
"The same could happen to any of us, so why should you be any different?" Jack stopped what he was doing. "Don't stop living and making plans for your future," he said his voice full of the authority and knowledge that made up Jack Bristow. "If you do, than they've won and everything that you've worked, everything that you have fought for has been lost. They've succeeded in gaining power you. Over your actions, over your decisions."  
  
She was surprised at his words and mentally analyzed them but she could find no hidden meaning or secret flaw. He seemed to be sincere. "You think I should?"  
  
"It's your decision." He applied the last Band-Aid to her temple. "Would your hesitation have anything to do with Joshua?" Her silence was her answer. "He's safe, with parents who love him, who will take care of him."  
  
"And that doesn't bother you?" she asked. "That you will never know your grandson?"  
  
"There will be other children Katarina," Jack began.  
  
"Come on Jack, I know you've read my medical files. I can't have any more children," her voice shook and she looked away from him blinking back tears.  
  
"You don't know-"  
  
"Yes I do Jack. Too much damage. You've seen the medical report. The doctor couldn't even understand how I got pregnant in the first place. Too much damage means no kids. Ever-"  
  
"You're seventeen Kat, you're young," Jack stood and gathered the medical supplies. "There are plenty of medical advancements to come should you decide you want children in the future it might be possible. However I really am not interested in becoming a grandfather any time soon. Now you should get some rest."  
  
Kat nodded climbed under the covers. "Thanks."  
  
Jack turned the light off. "Good night Katy."  
  
"I still don't understand," her voice came out of the dark. "I just don't understand how you could love a woman like that."  
  
"I did love her," Jack said softly. "I loved Laura Bristow. But my love for your mother ended over twenty years ago. I don't want to discuss this again now go to sleep."  
  
He could hear her sigh and moan quietly as she turned over, her body protesting against the painful movements before he heard a faint whisper, "night Jack."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Mountaineer, Boyscout, you are cleared for entry."  
  
Sydney adjusted her com link and turned to Vaughn. "Let's go."  
  
In order to gain access to the safety deposit box, which Alexander Khasinau had rented in Cairo several years before he died, Sydney and Vaughn were posing as a couple interested in the bank's services. But before they would commit to dealing with Cairo international they would need to tour the facilities and view the bank's vaults. The plan was to gas the bank manager and take his security card while Weiss would hack into the bank's mainframe and determine which box was his. Hopefully it would contain scroll 47 and the key to the Contessa.  
  
Vaughn and Sydney entered the bank. He wore a dark suit and glasses and she wore a maroon business suit, her hair tucked under a short blond wig.  
  
"Madam et Monsieur Riviere," Vaughn introduced them to the secretary in a flawless French accent. "We have an appointment with Monsieur Delgata."  
  
"Yes," the secretary smiled politely. "He's expecting you." She paged him and the bank manager appeared moments later. He greeted them warmly in a thick Arabic accent. Sydney and Vaughn followed him as he began the tour of the bank's facilities.  
  
Sydney couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. He was a far cry from the usual thugs they had to deal with on missions and in a few minutes the poor man would be gassed and wouldn't wake up for over an hour; when he did wake he'd have one hell of a headache. They entered into his office and Vaughn sprayed the gas in front of his face. Sydney caught the bank manager and slowly lowered him to the ground. Vaughn snatched his access card and waited until Weiss gave them the all clear before they left his office and made their way down the back stairwells to the room with the safety deposit boxes.  
  
Weiss had looped the bank's security cameras so the guards had no idea what was going on. Sydney and Vaughn used the bank managers access card to enter the vault room while Weiss observed the security cameras.  
  
"What's the box number?" Sydney asked.  
  
"You're not gonna believe this," Weiss laughed.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's 47."  
  
There was silence on the other end.  
  
"I said its box 47," he repeated.  
  
"Sick S.O.B.," Sydney muttered under her breath. Of course Khasinau would reference Rambaldi and his odd obsession with the number 47.  
  
"I've got it," Vaughn found the box and pulled it down sitting it on the table. The two stared at each other for a few moments in silence. All they had to do was open the box and all their questions regarding The Contessa could be answered.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
He'd been sleeping when her screams jarred him awake. Instinctively he reached for the gun he kept in the drawer in his nightstand.  
  
He entered her room and turned on the small desk light remembering that Agent Weiss had stopped him from turning on the full light when they were in Spain. She was twisting on the bed. The blankets were kicked in a pool at her feet and the sheets were soaked with sweat.  
  
He hated listening to her screams. They were torturous. Her words didn't make sense. Fragmented sounds cut off by screams, sobs, and cries from her nightmare. What he could understand were her cries for "Daddy."  
  
"Katy," Jack set the gun on the floor and sat on the edge of the pullout. He took her arms pinning them down at her sides in an attempt to stop her from thrashing and injuring herself further. "Wake up, its just a nightmare." She didn't respond. Her eyes were shut tight, her pillow soaked with tears. "It's just a dream Katy," he shook her shoulder gently. "You need to wake up."  
  
"Daddy, no," she screamed.  
  
"Katy! Wake up!"  
  
"Sydney please no," she sobbed.  
  
"Katy!"  
  
"Daddy!" she bolted upright gasping for breath.  
  
"I'm right here," Jack took her in his arms despite her initial protests as she tried to figure out where she was. "You're alright, it was just a dream." He rubbed her back lightly attempting to soothe her cries.  
  
"You were dead," she cried her voice muffled into his shirt.  
  
"You're alright sweetheart, it was just a dream."  
  
"And Sydney," she looked up at him tearfully. "I-I did it."  
  
"It was just a nightmare," Jack pushed aside the soaked sheet and lifted her into his arms. "Come on, you can't sleep here."  
  
"There was so much blood and I did it," she said hoarsely as Jack set her down on the bed in his room. "I did it," her voice trembled, "I killed you."  
  
Jack masked his surprise and wrapped his arms around her. "You're safe sweetheart," he whispered tucking her head against his chest. He rubbed her back once more trying to get her to stop crying and rocked her gently. "It was just a nightmare. I'm fine, Sydney's fine, everything will be alright."  
  
"But it was so real."  
  
"I know." Jack held her for several more minutes but she still would not settle and he took a risk.  
  
"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby..."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Vaughn and Sydney both eyed the box.  
  
"Mountaineer, Boyscout what is your status?" Lindsey repeated through the com links.  
  
"We have the box," Sydney let out the breath she'd been holding. "We're opening it."  
  
Vaughn took out a penknife laser and cut through the hinges on the box. He removed the lid and Sydney pulled out a file. She opened it and nearly felt her stomach drop, her hopes singed.  
  
"Negative on the scroll," Vaughn told Lindsey.  
  
"What's in there?" Lindsey asked.  
  
"It's just papers," Sydney sighed. "Random letters, probably coding but definitely not Rambaldi."  
  
"Alright, grab the papers and get home." Kendall took his headset off and Lindsey did the same. Hopefully the papers Sydney and Vaughn had recovered, were indeed encoded and would provide some clue as to the whereabouts of scroll 47.  
  
Sydney slipped the papers into the false bottom of Vaughn's briefcase and then slammed it closed.  
  
"Damn it!" 


	40. Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Thirty Nine  
  
Dr. Barnette sat silently in the chair across from Kat watching her closely. Her hands were folded in her lap, her legs crossed at the ankles and she stared directly at Judy. Dr. Barnette looked down at her notepad and made a few notes before glancing back up at Kat wondering if she'd even blinked once in the last five minute span. She checked her watch; their hour was almost up.  
  
It had taken four months for them to get to where they'd been before Kat's abduction and supposed death. Kat had finally begun to open up. She'd finally begun to talk about her past; about her mother, the man she'd thought was her father, the wrongs she'd suffered as a child, and everything that had happened since her entire world had turned out to be a lie. Four months of hard work seemed wasted as she noted the young woman's rigid posture and tightly clasped fingers. They were back to the beginning. Back to the beginning where the hour was spent in silence. She would make notes, ask a question every once in a while that would always go unanswered and Kat would stare out the window, watch the clock or stare directly into her eyes in utter defiance.  
  
It was no surprise to her, knowing now that Jack Bristow was the girl's father. She remembered very well the first time he'd sat in her office, told her everything and nothing all in the same breath. He'd told her everything she wanted to hear, pausing to take breaths, struggling at times for words but there was something that told her it was all an act. Indeed it had been, and it was exactly the same as his daughter's silence. Neither of them had been willing to let their guard down, to appear vulnerable even for an instant.  
  
She was strong; he was strong and so was Sydney. But one could only get by on strength alone for so long.  
  
Her first meeting with Kat had gone exactly the same. The subsequent few that followed remained unchanged. Dr. Barnette pressed her at times but still received no response until she'd exercised her last option, one she hadn't wanted to do. She asked Kathryn about Joshua.  
  
Joshua was her weakness. Her eyes had darkened and then turned to fire at the mere mention of his name. According to Kat's file, her son Joshua had died during childbirth when she was thirteen. He'd been buried in New York on Hart's Island in an unmarked grave but during her interviews with Director Kendall and Bob Lindsey she'd called him by name. It could be that she'd named him after his death but her reaction, the look in her eyes and the way she carefully chose her words led Dr. Barnette to believe that Kat was lying and her child was very much alive. He might very well be alive, but to Kat and everyone else concerned, he was dead. It was obvious to Judy that if the child was indeed alive as she guessed he was, his recorded death had been for his protection and while they eventually did discuss Joshua, she kept her suspicions to herself and left those thoughts out of her notes. If Kat was lying to protect him than it was not her place to run the risk of exposure.  
  
Judy sighed and put her notepad down. "Katarina-"she began  
  
"I don't go by that, only he calls me that," she quipped.  
  
"By he you mean your father?"  
  
"By he I mean Jack. Kat's fine," she said in a disgruntled tone.  
  
"Alright then Kat, for the last forty eight minutes we've sat here, in silence. When I met with you yesterday you were at least willing to talk to me, to tell me what happened during your absence. You've been through a lot yes, but now you refuse to speak and I can't help you if you won't talk. Now do you want to tell me what changed between yesterday afternoon and this morning?"  
  
Kat folded her arms across her chest remaining silent.  
  
"Alright, that's enough for today." Dr. Barnette stood and moved to her desk setting the pad down. She turned to face Kat who was quickly on her way out the door. "Wait," she caught her arm but quickly let it go when she saw the anger in the younger girl's eyes. "I only want to help you Kat, to help you deal with what has happened and to move on with your life, but I can't do it alone. Now I want you to think about that. Think about in five or ten years from now and decide if you still want to feel the way that you do now. I will see you tomorrow and if need be we will sit in silence for another hour but you can't hold out forever, and I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Good afternoon Dr. Barnette," Kat turned away and left her office, the door slammed behind her. She leaned against the wall, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.  
  
"Hey you," a familiar voice called to her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She forced a smile.  
  
"Oh just thought I'd pop by and see if you wanted to join us for lunch?" Carrie tapped the baby stroller handle.  
  
"Kendall called you in didn't he," Kat shook her head walking over to Carrie and the baby.  
  
"That he did," she nodded. "He wanted me to examine the documents Sydney and Vaughn brought back from Cairo."  
  
"I thought they weren't Rambaldi's?" Kat asked.  
  
"They're not," Carrie confirmed. "He just wanted to see if there was any relation. So lunch? On me?"  
  
"Okay," she nodded. "But I should probably tell Jack-"  
  
"I already told him," Carrie interrupted. "Besides they're in debrief, but he did send your shadow."  
  
Kat looked around Carrie and rolled her eyes, "hi Alex," she called waving a few fingers at the Security Agent she'd nicknamed Mr. Shadow. "And they say he's supposed to blend in," she said sarcastically noting his dark business suit. Mr. Shadow did anything but blend in. Kat leaned over the stroller to get a better look at baby Kate. "She looks like Marshall," she decided.  
  
"I know, I'm hopeful she'll grow out of that," Carrie teased and began pushing the stroller down the corridor. They were silent for a few moments before Carrie spoke again. "So have you given any more thought to being Kate's godmother?"  
  
"Sort of," Kat looked down at her feet as they walked. "Is the position still open?"  
  
"It's all yours," Carrie smiled. "I'm happy you changed your mind."  
  
"Me too," she grinned deciding that she had just made her first long term commitment since coming to LA.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Analysis has been going over these for the past week and they still haven't been able to break the code." Sydney handed Kat the confidential file folder containing the documents she and Vaughn had brought back from Cairo. "We'd like you to give it a shot."  
  
"Sure," she nodded setting the file beside her sandwich.  
  
"Katy are you alright, you barely touched your lunch?" Sydney asked pulling a chair over to her sisters make shift desk.  
  
"I'm fine, just not hungry" she shrugged tapping her pencil on the edge of the desk in irritation.  
  
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen you actually eat anything in days," Sydney said concerned. "You know you need to keep your sugar levels in check if you don't-"  
  
"I said I wasn't hungry alright," Kat said angrily and dropped her lunch in the garbage.  
  
"Okay," Sydney held up her hands in surrender style. "But honestly Kat, you look like crap did you even sleep last night-"  
  
"Syd, leave me alone alright," Kat turned to her. "I can take care of myself, just......back off."  
  
"Where are you going?" Sydney grabbed her wrist.  
  
"To see Barnette," she jerked her arm away. "I have an appointment, I'll look at those codes when I get back."  
  
Jack watched Kat walk away and motioned for Security Agent Fowler to follow her. He approached Sydney, "care to explain what that was about?"  
  
"I wish I knew," Sydney shrugged. "She's having a bad day?"  
  
"Well then she's been having a bad day, every day for the past week."  
  
"Is she still having nightmares?" Syd asked searching for an explanation as to her sister's strange behavior.  
  
"No," Jack shook his head.  
  
"Well something is wrong. I just wish I knew what."  
  
"We have a briefing with Kendall," he reminded her.  
  
"I'll be right there," Sydney walked over to her desk to get her notes.  
  
Jack turned to go but a piece of paper caught his eye. He pulled the pad of paper out from under a file on Kat's desk. She'd been doodling, but it was what she'd blacked out that interested him. A series of knives with blood on them had been scribbled out, as had the faces of two people. He held it up to the light and through the blacked out scribbles he could make out Sydney and himself. He quickly flipped through the rest of the pages seeing different versions of the same images. Knives of different sizes dripping with blood, a nursery rhyme repeated over and over again and more scribbled out faces, but it was the last page that he stopped on. He swallowed hard unable to understand exactly what he was looking at. It was a drawing of Sydney and him, their hands were tied behind their backs and what looked like blood was all over them. There was a woman standing beside them holding a bloodied knife. Jack sank down in the chair studying Kat's rather disturbing drawing. Although he couldn't be sure, he assumed she to be the one holding the knife.  
  
He went to his office taking the pad of paper with him and slid it in his briefcase. Sydney was right. Kat wasn't eating or sleeping; she was moody, withdrawn and short-tempered. Though she hid it well, he knew there was something seriously wrong. Jack picked up the phone and dialed a number.  
  
"Yes this is Jack Bristow, I need to see Dr. Barnette as soon as possible," he told the secretary. "You don't have anything sooner? No that's fine tomorrow morning at nine. Thank You."  
  
He set the phone back in the cradle deciding not to mention anything to Kat or Sydney about the drawings until after he'd spoken with Dr. Barnette. ~ ~ ~  
  
Jack turned restlessly in his bed. He'd dozed off several times but none of them took. Kat's drawings disturbed him. She'd been even more distant and touchy after dinner, hadn't eaten anything, feigned a headache and gone to bed early. She'd been sound asleep when he checked on her earlier before going to bed himself. He glanced at the clock as he got out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. It was a little after 3 AM.  
  
Quietly he opened the door to his study allowing just enough light in to see if she was sleeping; she was. He started to close the door but then realized that something was wrong. Kat never slept with the blankets on the bed. She always slept curled into the fetal position with the blankets kicked down to her feet.  
  
Jack turned on the full light and pulled the comforter back. "Damn it," he swore pulling out the two pillows she'd stuffed under to make it appear as though she were sleeping. "Where the hell are you?"  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Weiss yawned loudly as he padded to his front door. It was quarter after three in the morning when he'd awaken to the sound of his doorbell ringing. He'd almost considered taking his gun with him but decided against it. If there was trouble they certainly wouldn't be ringing the doorbell.  
  
He checked the peephole, "what the..." He quickly opened the door. "Kat what is it? Are you all right? What's wrong? Did something happen at Jack's?" Weiss cupped his hands around her face and down her hair, neck, shoulders and arms checking to see if she was injured. "Are you hurt?"  
  
Kat shook her head and Weiss noticed that she was crying and that she must have left Jack's in a hurry. She wasn't wearing any shoes, only socks a tank top and pair of pajama bottoms and it was freezing out.  
  
"Does Jack know you're here?" Weiss asked pulling her inside.  
  
Kat shook her head and Weiss put his arm around her rubbing her shoulder in a feeble attempt to warm her up as he led her into the living room.  
  
"Wait here," he instructed and left the room to get her a blanket. Dialing the phone he closed the door to his room so Kat wouldn't hear his conversation. "Mr. Bristow, it's Eric Weiss, yeah, yeah she's here. She's fine, she snuck out? Did something happen?......no I don't know why she left or came here but she's upset about something." Eric peeked out his door relieved to see that Kat was still sitting in the living room. "No, it's fine, yes I'll call, see you tomorrow." He hung up the phone and quickly grabbed a blanket from the closet and a bottle of water from the kitchen before returning to the living room. "Here you go," he said handing the water to her and draping the blanket over her shoulders.  
  
"You called him didn't you," she said softly staring at the unopened bottle in her hands.  
  
"Kat, you snuck out, he was worried sick, he thought maybe Khasinau..." Eric sighed and squatted in front of the chair. "What happened? Did you and he have a fight? Did you have a nightmare? What?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," she looked away.  
  
"You did have a nightmare didn't you," he said realizing that it must have been a really bad one for her to leave like she did. "But I thought you weren't having them anymore-"  
  
"They'll never stop!" she cried suddenly. "Don't you understand, they've never stopped!"  
  
"What?" he was surprised. "Then why did you lie?"  
  
"Because it didn't matter, they won't stop, they're not ever going to stop."  
  
"Yes they will-"  
  
"No!" she cried, "they won't. Eric I've had them every night of my life for the twelve years. I haven't slept through the night since I was six years old. They're never going to stop. If it's not one thing its another...and I'm just so sick and tired-"  
  
"Don't cry 'Shiner," he brushed her cheeks with the pad of his thumb. "You know I hate to see you cry." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear wondering how they all could have missed it. Her nightmares were bad yes, and in several instances they'd heard her screams but how could any of them have missed the fact that she'd been having nightmares every single night. How could she have hid it so well? "That's my girl," he smiled at her wiping her cheeks once more. Instead of being rewarded with a smile, Kat threw her arms around his neck crying even harder. "It's going to be okay," he whispered rubbing her back gently and stroking her hair.  
  
"I just want them to stop," she said in a muffled voice.  
  
"We'll work it out, we'll find a way I promise," he said softly and for a moment she almost believed him. He managed to finally pry her arms from around his neck and sat next to her on the couch. He patted the area in front of him and she wasted no time in settling in his arms and resting her head on his chest, just below his chin, her favorite spot because she could hear his heart beat.  
  
Weiss reached over and pulled the blanket up around them. "We'll figure it out Shiner, I promise," he whispered and gently kissed the top of her head.  
  
Kat lay there in his arms listening to Eric's quiet and slightly off-key rendition of Tomorrow from the musical Annie and decided that she had indeed made the right decision. She just couldn't stay at Jack's anymore, not with the way things were now. She'd taken to avoiding both Jack and Sydney as much as possible. She hid out in her room as soon as they got back to his apartment, pretended to sleep through meals, and just pretending to be sleeping all together. So she'd left on the spur of the moment. She couldn't tell Jack, there's no way he would have let her go, not that she really needed his permission anyway but staying so close to him was no longer an option.  
  
Eric stopped singing several minutes later having been through the song three times already and thinking that she'd finally fallen asleep but knew he was wrong when he felt her uneven breathing against his chest. "Kat," he whispered softly. "Why did you come to me?"  
  
She looked up at him, her eyes still red and swollen. "I tried to think of the one person or the one place that I felt the safest," she whispered honestly. "Every time I closed my eyes...... I saw you."  
  
A/N – As always please review. Pretty Pretty Please with a cherry on top? 


	41. Chapter Forty

A/N okay this one is real short (well in comparison to usual anyway) I had to break up chapter forty into two separate chapters. (geeze that seems to be happening more often lately) But anyway enjoy and feedback is always appreciated!  
  
Just a note, I didn't receive any reviews on the last chapter #39 it was posted really far down on the board so some might have missed it. So read 39 first if you haven'' already.  
  
Enjoy  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Forty  
  
She heard the knock at the door and the quiet click as it was opened. Jack's voice was easily recognizable as Eric let him in and they talked for a few moments in the hallway but she couldn't make out what they were saying.  
  
"She still hasn't said why she left," Weiss said quietly as he and Jack stood in the hallway. "She hasn't said much of anything at all actually."  
  
"Did she sleep?"  
  
"An hour, two maybe but no more than that?"  
  
"Any nightmares?"  
  
"No," he shook his head and took a sip of coffee. "There is one thing though, something that she said, I'm not even sure that I should be telling you but...," he paused still unsure if he should really be telling Jack, Kat's secret but he knew she would never tell him. "She has nightmares every night," he explained. "She's had them- well she hasn't slept through the night since she was six when her mom died." Jack was silent and Eric knew exactly what he was thinking. "I know what you're thinking, how could we not know, well you know Kat, keeping secrets and hiding the truth is what she does best."  
  
Jack nodded in agreement, "thank you Agent Weiss, for taking care of her."  
  
"She's in here," he nodded towards the living room and Jack followed him down the hall.  
  
"Kat, your da-....... Jack's here," Weiss entered the living room but Kat didn't even look up at them. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor concentrating on eating a bowl of cereal and watching a rerun of The Simpsons on television. "Kat?"  
  
Still no response as she didn't take her eyes off the screen.  
  
"Well I'll be in kitchen if you need me," Weiss shrugged and walked away.  
  
Jack waited until Weiss had left the room before approaching Kat who paid no attention to him but kept eating her cereal, her eyes glued to the TV. When she didn't acknowledge him he pulled the ottoman over and sat down beside her. "I brought you some clothes and shoes," he set the knapsack down beside her. She still didn't respond but he was pretty sure he saw her hand shake as she took another bite of her cereal.  
  
"I have an early meeting so Agent Weiss is going to bring you."  
  
Nothing.  
  
Beginning to get frustrated Jack took the TV remote from beside her and shut the television off. He leaned in close to her and spoke quietly and calmly. "I'm not going to play your games Katarina." He saw her tense up even more but kept her eyes focused on the blank television screen. "You're not going to talk and explain the problem then fine, but I will not be a mindless participant in whatever little game you have going on in your head."  
  
That was all he had to stay. Kat sat frozen as he stood up and walked out of the room. He stopped in the archway and turned around catching her offguard.  
  
"Don't you ever leave like that again," he said harshly.  
  
Kat sat for a moment slightly disoriented and willing herself not to cry.  
  
"Jack wait," she called out turning to where he'd stood moments before but she was too late, he was gone and the click of the front door resonated in her ears. Kat sat in front of the blank screen for a good ten minutes before finally rising to her feet and entering the kitchen.  
  
Weiss leaned against the counter drinking a cup of coffee. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she dumped most of her cereal in the garbage and slammed the bowl down on the counter.  
  
"You told him didn't you," she turned to face him angrily.  
  
"You keep too many secrets, and you certainly weren't going to tell him," he set his coffee down and took a step towards her his hands resting on his hips. This wasn't going to be pretty.  
  
"It wasn't your secret to tell!" her eyes flashed. "It wasn't any of his business."  
  
"Maybe not but some secrets shouldn't be kept, kid." He crossed to the sink and dumped the rest of his coffee down the drain.  
  
"God, I hate it when you call me that," she near exploded.  
  
"Well then stop acting like one," Weiss swallowed hard. "Get off your high horse, stop trying to be supergirl and doing everything by yourself and for f**k's sake, let someone help you for a change!"  
  
"You don't know anything about me, who are you to judge-"  
  
"I'm someone who cares about how you live your life." Weiss cupped his hands over the sides of her face, holding her still. "You've changed Kat since you've been back Kat, everyone can see it, even Marshall asked me what was wrong with you." He swallowed hard and lowered his voice slightly. "One day you're actually getting along with Jack and the next you can't stand the sight of him. Sydney and your dad, they're trying Kat they really are, but you're not giving them anything to work with."  
  
"Of course I did! I came back to find that the person I was no longer existed! You just don't understand."  
  
"You're right I don't," he shook his head. "What I do understand is that you've had a tough life. I don't dispute that. You got a shit deal and you didn't deserve any of it. You're strong and independent and you've never relied on anyone but yourself, but that's not the way it has to be. You don't have to turn to ice every time someone tries to get close to you. You can let them in and let them help you and still be independent. You want things to change, you want your nightmares to stop, you want to get on with your life but you won't let anyone help and you can't do it alone. But Kat, you can't live your life until you learn to trust and to have faith in your family and friends and let them help you. Let your father help you and stop being a pain in the ass-"  
  
"Don't call him that please-"  
  
"He's your father whether you like it or not, that's not going to change so just let him help you." He stepped back from her hating to see the look of confusion in her eyes. He knew what she was thinking; Good Ole Weiss who was always on her side was joining the enemy. "I'm not trying to hurt you 'Shiner, I just want you to understand that you don't have to do this alone."  
  
"Forget it," she shrugged him off.  
  
"We're leaving in thirty minutes," he began to leave the room but stopped and turned back to her. "How did you know I told him?"  
  
"Because he didn't yell at me," she said softly. 


	42. Chapter Forty One

A/N: Raina: In answer to your question about the age difference. Kat is 17 (almost 18) and Weiss I figured to be older than Syd but Younger than Vaughn by a year or two. I just realized now that when I mapped out all the ages and everything, I calculated Syd to be 30 which would mean the story takes place after her missing two years. But really it takes place before her missing two years so I'm just going to ignore that little bit lol. Anyway so I put Weiss at 31 so, 18 & 31=13 year difference.  
  
Thank you everyone for all the great replies. I'm glad your enjoying, keep 'em up lol. I'm updating all my PM lists so if you want to be notified when I post new chapters just let me know E  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Forty One  
  
Dr. Barnette carefully flipped through the pad of drawings Jack had given her. Finally she set them down and took off her glasses looking up and Jack and Sydney's expectant faces. "You were right to bring them to me."  
  
"So what are they, I mean what do they mean?" Sydney asked.  
  
"I couldn't say," she shook her head.  
  
"She hasn't given you any idea from your sessions?"  
  
"I wouldn't know," Dr. Barnette said. "She won't talk to me."  
  
"What?" Sydney was confused. "She said your sessions were going well, she said she thought she was making real progress. She lied?"  
  
Barnette nodded in confirmation.  
  
"But why?"  
  
"When doesn't your sister lie," Jack stood and studied a framed piece of art on the adjacent wall. "Every word out of her mouth is a falsification of the truth. Anything from what she remembers about Moscow to what she did or more often did not eat for breakfast. She won't trust anyone. I'd even consider giving her a lie detector test if I didn't think she could lie her way through to a passing grade."  
  
"I didn't realize things were so bad, why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Your concentration was needed elsewhere."  
  
"She's my sister-"  
  
"I didn't think it would have made a difference."  
  
"What's important right now is finding out where all this is coming from," Barnette pointed to the drawing of Jack and Sydney. "I met with Kat last Tuesday, the day after you returned from Moscow. During that meeting she was willing to talk to me. I talked with her for an hour and a half but the next day she wouldn't talk at all. Not a word. Now something must have happened between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning to set this off. Agent Bristow do you have any idea of what that could be?"  
  
Jack nodded and explained to Sydney and Barnette about the nightmare Kat had experienced Tuesday night. She hadn't said much about it, only that in the dream she had stabbed and killed both Sydney and Jack. He also revealed her secret regarding the continuing nightmares.  
  
"I never knew," Sydney shook her head sadly. "She lived in my house for four months and I never knew, how could I not?"  
  
"Your sister is very skilled at deception," Barnette adjusted her glasses. "In some ways far better than either of your abilities. Not necessarily because she wants to be, but because she has to be. She's been learning how to lie, to deceive and how to cover things up since she was a child. It was a means of survival. In her case, she's most likely developed coping mechanisms for her nightmares that allow her to hide them from everyone. Things like waking up in the middle before she screams, keeping her mouth closed so you can't hear her crying at night. Making herself realize it's a nightmare and waking up before it gets too bad, even pretending to sleep when other people are there because she's afraid of having one, afraid of people knowing the truth. Obviously there are times when she can't stop them and you hear her but for the majority of the time she's learned how to hide them."  
  
"She shouldn't have to," Sydney sighed.  
  
"No she shouldn't," Barnette slipped her glasses off. "Sydney, though your sister appears very grown up and in most aspects she is. She's far beyond her years experienced more than one should have to but in other aspects she's still very much a child. She missed out on a lot of experiences, a lot of stages of development. She's never learnt to trust adults or really anyone in general. Just about every single one she had the potential to get close to betrayed her in some way or another and she doesn't want to get hurt."  
  
Jack stared out the window as he listened to Barnette speak and he realized he'd severely underestimated his daughter. He knew that he had to give her something she desperately wanted even if the very thought of it unnerved him. "What about Agent Weiss?" he asked turned back to the doctor and Sydney.  
  
"Agent Weiss is different," Barnette began. "He's like her security blanket, the one person she can go to for anything. She trusts him with her life. My guess is that he sees more of the real side of her than anyone else does. She's not afraid of him because he doesn't have the potential to hurt her the way that either of you do-"She was interrupted by a knock on the door and a moment later Kat walked in surprised to find Jack and Sydney there.  
  
"Katy," Sydney stood up to give her a hug.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she stepped back avoiding her sisters arms.  
  
"Well there's some things we need to discuss," Sydney explained. "We thought doing it here with Dr. Barnette would be a good idea."  
  
"Okay," she said slowly and lowered herself into Jack's vacated chair. "What did someone die?" she asked judging the reaction on their faces.  
  
Barnette flipped the pad of paper over to show her. "We want to talk about your drawings."  
  
"You went through my stuff?" She said accusingly at Jack and stood up facing him.  
  
"You left it on your desk," he explained calmly. "It wasn't hidden."  
  
"It doesn't matter, it wasn't your property!"  
  
"Katy please," Sydney stood and reached for her once more but the younger girl backed out of her reach. "We just need to know what's going on with you."  
  
"I'm fine!"  
  
"No," she shook her head. "You're not."  
  
"Yes I am."  
  
"No, you're not. Please just let us help you."  
  
"Because," she cried exasperated.  
  
"Because why?"  
  
"Because, I don't want to hurt you," she whispered.  
  
"You're worried that you might hurt them because of your dreams?" Barnette asked.  
  
She didn't need to answer.  
  
"Katy, that's ridiculous," Sydney sighed. "They're just dreams, they don't mean anything. You could never hurt me or dad or anyone."  
  
"Don't be naïve," she scoffed. "You've seen me, you know what I am capable of. I shot a man; I killed him.  
  
"Katarina, you did what you had to do. If you hadn't shot Viktor Melnikov, he would have killed her." Jack's voice was firm. "You had to make a choice a bad choice but a choice none the less and you made the right decision.  
  
"Who are we talking about?" Barnette interrupted and was surprised to see three worried sets of eyes looking at her.  
  
"It was me," Sydney lied. "Melnikov was about to stab me but Katy shot him first." She looked over at her sister wondering if her hatred for their mother would cause her to say something else. But thankfully it didn't and the secret of Irina's involvement in her daughters rescue was kept.  
  
"I see," Barnette nodded slowly. "Kat killing someone in self defense is a far cry from what your drawings predict of pre-mediated murder. There is a clear line of division that I do not believe you could cross."  
  
Kat turned to Barnette a look of sheer distaste, evident on her face. "Forgive me Dr. Barnette but sitting in your office for an hour, a few times a week does not give you the right to judge my actions, or lack there of. I don't even know what I am capable of anymore-"  
  
"Enough." Jack interrupted and crossed his arms over his chest looking down at Kat. "Katarina, you once told me that there were exactly four people in the world have you had any amount of trust in." He waited for her acknowledgement before continuing. "Two of those four people included Sydney and myself, has that assessment changed at all?"  
  
Slowly Kat shook her head; her eyes still full of unshed tears.  
  
"Then live up to your judgement," he spoke quietly. "Trust that we will not allow you to be put in the position."  
  
"I can't," she whispered shaking her head. "I can't risk it."  
  
"Yes you can."  
  
"I can't," she shook her head. "I can't risk loosing you, people die around me, people close to me—they die."  
  
"If you don't at least try, then you've already lost." He held out his hand to her. She eyed it and then him and back to his hand, judging if she could take the risk. She did and Jack knew that she was back. The little girl who'd clung to him so tightly the week before, apologizing for giving into Khasinau and deciding to give him a chance, to give them both a chance and called him Daddy, even if only that once, was back.  
  
Barnette watched the exchange between father and daughter silently. She sat back in her chair marveled as Kat slipped her hand into Jacks and nodded in acceptance. She would have never been able to believe it if she hadn't seen it with her own two eyes. Jack Bristow showed compassion, and acceptance and one could even say love, to the girl who'd fought so hard against him. She was his daughter yes, but he also knew how to melt the ice within her.  
  
"Don't ever scare me like that again," Sydney half laughed as she hugged her sister.  
  
"Are we done?" Kat asked looking at Barnette  
  
"For today," she nodded. "But only under the condition that you're not going to shut everyone out when something difficult comes up."  
  
Kat glanced quickly at both Sydney and Jack before answering. "I promise."  
  
"Good," she stood and held out the pad of paper with Kat's drawings on it to her.  
  
"No," she shook her head. "I don't need them, just throw them in the garbage, that's where they belong."  
  
Barnette nodded and set it back on her desk. "I will see you tomorrow then. We'll work on your dreams and with any luck they will stop."  
  
"Thanks," she nodded. "See you tomorrow," she smiled briefly as the three left the office.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
She stood in the doorway watching as he packed his suitcase. Carefully folded ties joined pressed shirts and pants in a methodical manner. Feeling someone else in the room, he looked up and noticed her in the doorway. "Hi."  
  
"You're going away?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Jack nodded. "Just for a few days, on business. I was going to talk to you about it when you woke up. You're going to stay with Sydney until I get back. Are you feeling better" After their meeting with Barnette, Jack had taken the rest of the day off and given Kat a sleeping pill as soon as they got home, to help her sleep deeper.  
  
Kat nodded and held out a plate to him containing a grilled cheese sandwich. "I thought you might be hungry. I didn't burn it at all this time," she said proudly.  
  
He near laughed remembering the last time she'd made a grilled cheese sandwich. They were both rewarded with a ruined frying pan and the knowledge that the smoke detectors were in full working order. "Thanks," he took the plate and sat on the edge of the bed taking a bit of the sandwich before offering her the other half.  
  
Kat sat on his bed and took the other half of the sandwich. "How long are you going for?"  
  
"Four or five days," he answered. "A week at most. You're still working on those codes?" he asked pointing at the file she held.  
  
"Yeah, I just found something," she smiled and opened the folder. "The reason why no one can decode it is because they've never seen it before." She passed Jack an old drawing she'd made as a child. "I made this when I was in first grade, it was in that box of pictures that Irina sent. See this here?" she pointed out some markings on the bottom right corner that resembled some sort of ancient writings. "It means Katy." She saw the confused look on Jack's face. "It used to drive my teachers nuts. I signed everything like this up until like second grade." She pulled out one of the pages of scrambled letters and numbers and pointed to the tiny markings on the bottom right hand corner, they were an exact match. "I wrote this code. I have no idea what it says but I know I wrote it."  
  
"You're sure?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," she nodded. "I mean I don't even know if Alexander Khasinau knew what it said, but its mine. I just don't know what it says yet. I just have to work at it harder I guess."  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
She nodded and picked up a book lying beside his suitcase. "I never pegged you for a comedy fan," she said holding up Shakespear's Taming of the Shrew.  
  
"Hamlet's my favorite, but I enjoy the comedies as well," Jack turned to face her. "What about you? What's your favorite book?"  
  
"Alice in Wonderland and A Little Princess," she admitted with a smile. "But really Les Miserables."  
  
"Victor Hugo?"  
  
She nodded. "But the French text, the translation isn't as good. Anna Karenina too, I used to have them, in New York, but apparently The Covenant thought them to be of value," she said bitterly.  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes eating their half of the sandwich. "I am sorry," she said softly looking at Jack. "For leaving last night, I just didn't know what else to do. I just couldn't stay, I was afraid that I would hurt you."  
  
"Come to me, or Sydney," he said softly. "Don't let it get as bad as it did and we'll figure it out."  
  
"Okay," she nodded. "Could you do something for me?" She asked hesitantly.  
  
"What is it?" Jack asked.  
  
"I know you said it couldn't happen but...."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Could you hide all the knives? All the sharp ones, just some place I won't find them?"  
  
Jack nodded, "I can do that."  
  
"Thanks," she was relieved.  
  
"I spoke with Director Devlin a little while ago, he's cleared you to see Arvin Sloane."  
  
She looked at him surprise clearly evident on her face. "But I thought you said no."  
  
"I did, but it's not really my decision to make. If its what you really want than my opinion is irrelevant. There are some conditions however." Jack set the papers with the codes he'd been holding back in the file folder and set it to the side. "Under no circumstances are you to be left alone with him and you are forbidden to have any kind of physical contact. I will be with you at all times and I will end it at any time if I feel that your safety, physical or emotional is threatened. You are not to talk about Joshua and any questions that I feel are inappropriate will be stopped. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes," she nodded. "Thank you, this means a lot to me. I really need this, I need answers. I need to know why he did it. Why he trained me and kept me away from Sydney...... and you."  
  
"Arvin Sloane is not a man easily influenced. Just because you want to know, doesn't mean he's going to tell you."  
  
"I know," she managed a half smile. "But I have to at least try, I haven't got anything to lose right?"  
  
He hoped she was right. 


	43. Chapter Forty Two

A/N Does anyone know the name of the episode where Vaughn showed Sydney his fathers watch and told her that it broke the day they met.  
  
Another question what episode/event do you think it was when Sydney realized she had begun to care/fall in love with Vaughn and viceVersa.  
  
without further ado  
  
Redemption Chapter Forty-Two  
  
Weiss bounced a yo-yo on his middle finger as he looked across the Op Center deep in thought. His eyes never followed the yo-yo as it methodically followed the string up and down. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked up and his eyes quickly found their way to the mounds of paperwork on his desk. He looked up again moments later hoping she hadn't noticed him watching her. She had, he noticed as their eyes met. He could feel a slight heat coming over his face and she just smiled and laughed shaking her head at him before turning her attention back to Will and Marshall who sat at her desk.  
  
"What's up with you?" Vaughn pulled his chair up to Weiss' desk.  
  
"Don't know what you're talking about," Weiss slipped the string loop off his finger and dropped the toy into the top drawer of his desk.  
  
"What do you think I'm blind?" Vaughn scoffed. "You haven't taken your eyes of Kat for like the last ten minutes. There isn't anything going on between the two of you right?"  
  
"What?" he looked at Vaughn surprised. "Between Kat and I? What no," he shook his head. "Why all the sudden does everyone think---She's just a kid, she's half my age for God's sake. She's Syd's sister, come on Mike."  
  
"So what's going on then?"  
  
Weiss turned to face Vaughn but not before taking a final glance at Kat. "Just trying to figure out what's going on with her. Did Sydney tell you anything at all about what happened the other morning with her, Kat and Jack?"  
  
"What with Barnette?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"Yeah," Weiss nodded. "I have no idea what's going on. One minute they're fine, the next Kat is sneaking off to my place in the middle of the night not speaking to either Jack or Sydney and the next morning they're fine again and Jack is taking Kat to see Arvin Sloane. Now does that seem at all odd to you?"  
  
"I asked Sydney about the knives," Vaughn confessed. "Last night when we went out to dinner with you, Will and Kat, well Kat was nervous, she kept fiddling with her steak knife. When you and she went to the bathroom, Syd grabs all the knives flags down the waitress and gives them all to her. I was going to ask her but then you came back so I didn't."  
  
"During dinner I was about to ask the waitress for a sharper knife and Will kicked me so hard, I didn't," Weiss added.  
  
"I noticed," Vaughn grinned. "So we're back at her place after dinner and I'm looking for a knife to cut an apple, only I can't find one."  
  
"I don't get it, what's the point?"  
  
"At Kat's request, she locked up all the knives. They're in the cupboard above her fridge. She hid the key in magnet on the fridge."  
  
"So why did she want the knives locked up?"  
  
"Well the whole reason Kat changed after Moscow was because she had a dream where she killed Jack and Sydney, stabbed them. During her session with Barnette they got it out of her. In return she had Jack and Sydney get rid of all the knives. Syd said that Kat was scared she might hurt them."  
  
"So that's why she was a total pain in the ass," Weiss concluded. "She was just trying to scare them off. I wonder why she didn't tell me."  
  
"She doesn't tell you everything does she?"  
  
"Yeah actually she does, usually anyway," Weiss looked at a very surprised Michael Vaughn. "It's not what you think," he shrugged. "We just understand each other, she's...... my best friend-"  
  
"So that makes me what exactly?" Vaughn's brow furrowed.  
  
"You're my best...... guy friend, she's my best girl friend. I don't know what we are," he groaned. "It's entirely platonic. Just stop doing that eyebrow thing you're going to give yourself wrinkles." Weiss gave Vaughn's chair a shove and he went sailing back to his own desk. "Now get back to work."  
  
Weiss tried to do the same but every time he tried to concentrate on his operations report he found his eyes returning to a certain little brunette across the room.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Kendall and Lindsey were deep in conversation as they crossed the rotunda going over the latest Intel received regarding Sark. They didn't notice feet sticking out from under a desk until Lindsey tripped over them and went flying. Looking down they saw three pairs of feet peeking out from under a desk.  
  
After feeling someone trip over his feet Marshall stood up quickly smashing his head on the edge of the desk.  
  
"Uh sorry Director Lindsey," Marshall stammered. "We were-uh. You're not hurt are you? Cause that would be pretty bad and you could fire me but you won't do that right? Because well you know I can't lose my job, Carrie would kill me and I've got a new baby—would you like to see pictures?" He pulled out his wallet ready to show Lindsey the pictures but the look on his superior's face refrained him from doing so. He cast a sideways glance at Will who had just crawled out from under the desk leaving a sole pair of small pink running shoes sticking out, the tips of the toes smacking back and forth.  
  
"What are you doing?" Lindsey asked obviously irritated.  
  
"We were helping Kat with the code," Will explained.  
  
Kendall squatted down beside the desk and peeked under it. Kat lay on her back looking up at the underside where Will and Marshall had used sticky tack to secure the 12 pages of codes.  
  
"What are you-"  
  
"Don't talk," she cut him off her face marred in a look of concentration. Suddenly she reversed her direction turning to face the other way and changed the position of some of the pages. "Marker," she held out her hand and Kendall reluctantly grabbed one of the desk and handed it to her.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked again and Lindsey squatted down beside him. Marshall and Will took the other end while several nearby agents walked over interested to see what was going on, including Weiss, Vaughn and Sydney.  
  
"I decided I needed to look at it from a different angle," she explained making notations in red marker on the pages above her head. "I wrote this when I was five so the answer must be relatively simple, creative but simple," she sighed and saw Kendall's surprised look. "I may be a genius but come on, I was five how complicated could I have made it..." her voice trailed off. "Wait a second-"  
  
"What?" Kendall asked.  
  
"Is it—If I move—It could........"  
  
"Yes?" Lindsey asked not even attempting to hide his excitement.  
  
Suddenly Kat laughed and began renumbering the pages. She pulled them down and handed them to Kendall. "Put those in order," she instructed and stood up. Rounding the desk she sat on her chair and loaded the Internet browser. Kendall watched dumbfounded as she pounded the keyboard excitedly muttering to herself. "Chapter 12, or 13, 15, no 11. Yes 11," she grinned and hit print on the computer. Skimming through the newly printed pages she found what she was looking for and circled it. Kat took the codings back from Kendall and then distributed them in order amongst Weiss, Vaughn, Sydney, Will, Marshall and Kendall. "Over here," she directed them all to stand in order several feet in front of a whiteboard. Kat stood facing them scrutinizing the placement of the coding sheets. She changed her mind several times and rearranged them once more. Studying the pages she'd printed from the internet she began making notations on the whiteboard and then highlighting and crossing out sections on the coding every once in a while making reference to the internet pages she held in her hand. The crowd around them began to grow as curious onlookers caught sense of the excitement. Many of the agents in the operations center had tried their hand at the code but to no avail. It took nearly ten long minutes before Kat finally wrote the final results on the white board.  
  
It was an address located in St. Petersburg Russia with the number key to a high security safe and the words to an old nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill.  
  
"It was that easy," she smiled sitting back in a chair and admiring her handiwork. "Once I knew I wrote it, I just had to think of a creative way to find out what it meant."  
  
"That creative process was?" Lindsey asked a few moments later after instructing the agents in analysis to locate the address.  
  
Kat flipped to the first page of the print out and showed them, "Nancy Drew and The Case of The Secret Code, Chapter eleven."  
  
"Nancy Drew?" Sydney said surprised.  
  
"Oh like you never read them," she grinned teasingly and then her expression took on a more serious tone. "Come on guys I was five, there's no way I could have come up with that on my own. I took the code from the book and manipulated it to fit my needs," She shrugged.  
  
"You read Nancy Drew when you were five?" Lindsey asked skeptically.  
  
"No," she shook her head, "I didn't read Nancy Drew when I was five." She almost laughed at seeing a grin start to spread on his face. "I was four," she caught him offguard.  
  
Sydney had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as she saw the smirk on her sister's face. She loved to press Robert Lindsey's buttons.  
  
"I read Tolstoy when I was nine," she shrugged.  
  
"Do you remember the time period when you wrote it?" Kendall pulled a chair over to sit in front of her.  
  
"Not exactly," she shook her head. "I don't know why I wrote it. I don't know if I wrote it because I wanted to or if Irina asked me to or if Khasinau did. I don't even know if Khasinau knew how to read it or if I did it for him. I remember the room, it was an office. I remember it smelled like...... spicy, like peppermint and tobacco. Most of all I remember being hungry, but either I wasn't allowed to or I just wouldn't eat until I finished. It was a new place though, I don't remember being there before, but I think I was there for a while anyway. That's all I know."  
  
"And the nursery rhyme?" Kendall asked.  
  
"I don't know," she shrugged. "I don't know what it means. I do know that I hate the damn thing. Really, who cares about Jack and Jill falling down a hill? I've always thought it was rather creepy.  
  
"I have a contact in St. Petersburg. I'll contact him, see what I can find out," Vaughn volunteered.  
  
"Alright," Kendall nodded. "Agent Weiss and Bristow, check with your contacts as well and based on Intel received I want you to spec out the mission. I want you to go in ASAP. Briefing in 90 minutes," he finished and stood beginning the trek back to his office with Lindsey following close behind. He stopped momentarily as he passed Kat. "Good work, Miss. Bristow."  
  
"Do my ears deceive me? Did Baldi actually give a compliment?" Kat said in a low teasing voice. "I think I might faint." She took a few steps towards Sydney's desk and put her hand to her forehead and pretended to faint dramatically collapsing into the chair beside the desk.  
  
Sydney laughed and walked back to her desk. "I'm really proud of you," she smiled and sat down in her chair. "You were great."  
  
"Thanks," she grinned. "The answer was so simple, I just can't believe it took so long." Groaning slightly she lifted her injured leg and rested her shoe on the edge of Sydney's chair.  
  
"Your leg's hurting?" Sydney asked.  
  
"You could say that," she sighed. "First day without the cane. I didn't realize how much I'd been depending on it. I took aspirin; I'll be fine. I better let you get to work."  
  
"Okay," Sydney nodded. "You know I was thinking that I can't see us really doing anything until tomorrow about this so tonight maybe we can do like a girls night in type thing, pizza, popcorn, chick flicks. Just like the old days before things got so........"  
  
"Screwed up?" Kat finished.  
  
"Well I was going to say hectic and complicated-"  
  
"Sounds great," she interjected. "I've got to go see Barnette."  
  
"Good." Syd watched as Kat walked over to Security Agent Fowler or Mr. Shadow as she called him to remind him of their appointment.Once she was gone Sydney began the process of establishing contact with her two contacts in St. Petersburg. With any luck Kat's translation of the code was correct and scroll 47 would be located in a safe at the address in St. Petersburg, Russia. 


	44. Chapter Forty Three

A/N Okay this one is really long sorry, I just didn't want to break it up because I promised the action in the next chapter and I though it would loose something if I broke it up. But the action is in the next chapter  
  
Redemption Chapter Forty Three  
  
Syd watched Kat out of the corner of her eye. Their first movie was drawing to a close and Kat was fighting hard to keep her eyes open. Sydney had made the mistake of allowing her to eat some ice cream, which combined with the pizza had caused her blood sugar to become unstable and now exhaustion was taking her over.  
  
Kat's decryption of the code had been a well-needed confidence booster for her. She'd been staying with Sydney for two days now and just about every waking moment of those two days and the past week had been spent analyzing and reanalyzing the code but to no avail. She was clearly frustrated and angry at the knowledge that she had contrived the code but was unable to solve it.  
  
Sydney had to admit the peculiar image of Kat, Marshall and Will lying under the desk had daunted her belief. She'd thought there was no way Kat would have been able to decrypt the code using a creative manner, but she had. Through rearranging the pages and looking at them as one large image she'd been able to detect a pattern which triggered her memory of a similar code in the Nancy Drew book. After that it had just been the matter of decoding.  
  
To both of them, it was as if the past week had never happened. Following Kat's confession in Dr. Barnette's office, their relationship had grown and they were closer than ever. She'd remained rather close lipped about her relationship with their father but Syd figured the two were both still trying to just figure it out themselves. To try and understand how they could live together, get along, understand each other and establish some sort of relationship without overstepping each others boundaries.  
  
Kat picked up the video case and studied the image on the front as the credits began to roll. "That was good," she commented. "I hadn't seen it before."  
  
"Never Been Kissed is one of my favorite movies," Syd stood and ejected the tape.  
  
"I've finally figured out who that actor, the one that played the teacher reminded me of," Kat announced. "It's Michael. Must be all that forehead wrinkling he does."  
  
"I like his forehead wrinkling," Sydney laughed. "It's cute!"  
  
"You would," she snickered.  
  
"Now speaking of first kisses," Syd moved to sit beside Kat and put an arm around her shoulders. "Tell me about yours?"  
  
"What?" she asked surprised.  
  
"Come on," Syd pleaded. "Weiss told me about a little lip lock action going on between you and a certain CIA Agent working undercover in Spain by the name of Aidan MacGreggor."  
  
"How did he-"Kat clammed up her face turning bright red. "It was just a good bye kiss for show," she mumbled. "His sleezeball boss was there."  
  
"And that's why you were in a daze for the rest of the trip?"  
  
"Shut up!" Kat laughed and threw a pillow at her sister obviously embarrassed.  
  
"Come on," Syd threw it back. "Spill."  
  
"Alright, alright, alright. It was...... nice," she admitted.  
  
"Nice?" Syd raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Okay fine it was better than nice, it was awesome," Kat tucked her legs under her and turned to face her sister, her eyes sparkling at the memory. "It was sweet and incredible and amazing and I thought my legs were going to give out. It was my first kiss and I'm probably going to be comparing every single one I ever have to it."  
  
"Someone's in love......"  
  
"No," she shook her head. "It was just for show and its not like I'm ever going to see the guy again. But he sure was a good kisser," she giggled. "What about you? What was your first kiss like?"  
  
"Horrible," Sydney admitted with a laugh. "I was fifteen and his name was David Mitchellson. It was his first time too and we smacked heads. I thought I broke my nose."  
  
"Awww poor Sydney," Kat laughed.  
  
"He was my first boyfriend, we dated for six months."  
  
"How do you know, when you meet the right guy?" Kat asked quietly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Syd took her hand and squeezed it gently urging her to continue.  
  
"Well I'm afraid," she admitted. "I mean, I know not all guys are like the ones I've known. Some are wonderful and sweet like Michael or Eric but I'm worried that some day I will meet the right guy for me but I'll screw it up because I'm afraid he'll hurt me."  
  
"I don't think you'd screw it up. You're smart Katy, far more intelligent that anyone gives you credit for. And you're right not all guys are like the men who have hurt you but some are and I'm confident that you will be able to pick them out. When you meet the right guy, I think you'll know. You'll see things differently. He'll be the last thing you think of before you fall asleep at night and the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning. It's the little things like he knows how you take your coffee and that when you wear certain clothes you're in a certain mood. Things like how just being around him makes the world seem like a better place and he'll risk getting sick when you are just to bring you chicken soup and kiss you because he knows it'll make you feel better."  
  
"With Danny, how did you know?"  
  
"That he was the one?" she asked for clarification and then proceeded. "When I first realized that I was in love with him, we'd been dating for about 8 months. I had a paper due the next day worth about 40% of my final grade but I wasn't finished. I'd just come home from an Op and I was exhausted. Danny had worked a double shift and he was exhausted but there he was at 1 AM looking up quotes and editing my thesis. I just looked over at him and his hair was all spiky, he was on his fourth cup of coffee and he just smiled at me and went right back to work and I knew. I just knew somehow that I was in love with this amazing man. He had to work the next morning too, I think he slept for about an hour and when I came home from class there was a rose on my pillow and a note. At that moment I just knew for sure I was in love, hopelessly and completely in love" Syd smiled at the memory bringing a tear to her eye that she blinked away. "When I lost him, I thought I'd never feel that way about anyone again. A few months later I met Vaughn."  
  
"And did you know right away with Vaughn?"  
  
"No," she laughed wiping away the tears on her cheek. "When I first met Vaughn I thought he was inexperienced, ego driven, out to play me and I never thought we'd end up where we are now." Syd stopped to regain her thoughts before continuing. "It had only been about two months since Danny died and I'd just found out what SD-6 really was, that my father had been lying to me virtually my entire life and he was a double Agent. The next thing I knew so was I. Vaughn became the only person I could to, the only person I could really trust and be completely honest with. I didn't have to lie or think about every word that came out of my mouth before I said it."  
  
"How did it change?" she asked eagerly intent on hearing the full story.  
  
"Our relationship slowly became more than just handler and asset. We became friends. He was my confidant. Being a double agent was incredibly difficult. Mentally is was exhausting and while I'm trained to compartmentalize there were things that I couldn't and he was there for me." Sydney paused for a few minutes to collect her thoughts before continuing. "One night I was supposed to have dinner with dad for the first time since I was a kid but he didn't show. He called and said he had work but I knew he was lying. I felt so many things that I didn't know what to do. I called Vaughn and he met me on the pier. I totally broke down. I cried and yelled and I even threw my beeper into the pacific. It wasn't just my dad it was everything. I didn't know who I was anymore, what I stood for. He was kind and he told me not what I wanted to hear but what I needed to hear and he said he'd always be there for me. When I was at my lowest low all I needed to do was call. I think that was when things began to change. He always backed me up. He became my guardian angel. He broke into The Vatican in Rome for me, broke me out of FBI Custody to prove that I wasn't the woman in Rambaldi's Prophecy-"  
  
"He doesn't seem like much of a rule breaker," Kat interrupted.  
  
"He wasn't," Syd laughed. "Atleast not until he met me anyway. Somewhere in the midst of all this chaos we began to fall in love. Last year he got really sick and I think that was when I realized how much I cared for him. The thought of loosing him, I couldn't bare it and then I met Alice, she was his girlfriend and I thought my heart would literally break in two. But I had a mission to complete and despite his current situation I realized that my feelings for him were very strong. I knew he felt the same when he showed me his father's watch and told me about it. It used to keep perfect time and when his dad gave it to him he said that you could set your heart by the watch. What was important about the watch was that it stopped on October 1 and that was the day that we met. Before I knew it SD-6 was taken down and we could finally be together and well the rest is history."  
  
"Do you still miss Danny?"  
  
"Yes," Sydney answered truthfully. "I loved him with all my heart; part of me still does and always will. Daniel Hecht was a wonderful man but I know that he would want me to be happy and with Vaughn, I am happy." Sydney paused to consider her words before speaking.  
  
"I know that you're scared to be with someone, to open your heart and to be vulnerable but mostly to be intimate and to be hurt by a man again. But I also believe, no I know that someday you will meet a man who loves you and cares for you because you deserve it more than anything in the world. He'll be kind and good to you and he will understand your hesitations and together you can begin to repair the damage that's been done to your heart and to your soul. Experiencing love is a wonderful thing and it's something that I don't want you to miss out on." Sydney reached out tucking a lock of hair behind her little sisters ear. "I read somewhere once that the best gift that live can give you is that of a great love. I truly believe that."  
  
"You're right," Kat sighed. "I am scared. I'm afraid that when a guy likes me, if a guy likes me, I'll get scared and I'll ruin it and miss my chance and always be wondering what if."  
  
"You're seventeen Katy, you have all the time in the world to fall in love but along the way your heart will get broken but it makes you stronger, allows you to appreciate more to experience more and to love deeper and I know that in time you'll be okay. Not because I know that you're strong and smart and a survivor but just because you're you and you live life on your own terms. Don't cry," Syd laughed and wiped Kat's eyes and then her own.  
  
"I can't help it," she said softly. "Never in a million years would I have imagined myself having a conversation with anyone about love especially with the sister I never knew I had. I didn't really have friends when I was a kid. I switched schools so much I didn't have time to make any and I was always the smart kid, the weird kid, the foster kid whose clothes were always out of style or hand me downs thrift store. I was the freak and I let those kids walk all over me. I was a loner because I didn't want to get hurt. After I was emancipated things were so much easier. I worked in a bookstore and as a waitress and I was doing whatever I wanted. I didn't have anyone telling me when to go to bed, or what to do. One night it was my sixteenth birthday and I had to work and the opening singer didn't show for the band at the place where I waitressed. The owner was totally freaking out. It was this band not widely known they were still trying to break out, they were called Nickelback. I don't know what made me do it but I just got on stage told the band what to play and I sang. I was so scared that they laugh me off the stage but they didn't. The audience clapped and cheered and they loved it. That night the owner was so surprised because no one knew I could sing and he fired the other girl and put me in her spot. That's what I did for the next year and a half. I was the opening act for the bands but Wednesday nights it was my show and I loved it. People came specifically to hear me and it was liberating to know that I could do something that made people happy. There were a couple girls there that I was friends with but not close. They'd ask me all the time to go out with them or try to set me up but I just couldn't. I couldn't let go of my past and I couldn't be happy." She was silent for a few moments struggling to find the right words. "I know that everything has been so messed up since I came to LA but Sydney I don't regret it. I'd go through it all again if I had to because I've never been happier. I know that with everything that has happened it seems ludicrous, but Sydney I finally feel like I fit in. I finally have friends. You and Eric, you're my best friends; I'd die if I lost you. Even Jack and the screwed up non-existent, existent relationship that we have I-I wouldn't trade any of it. I finally feel like, I have a home and a family."  
  
"That's never going to change. You're always going to be my little sister," Sydney smiled at her. "Don't worry about Dad, it'll work out. I know it will. Since you came to us, he's changed Katy. For the better. Sometimes it's hard to see but I can see it around you. He's different. I missed out on a lot with him growing up. He had his reasons and I understand that but Katy I can see that he is trying not to make the same mistakes. He really is. He tries to mask his feelings, hide his emotions, but he really does care for you. He did before he found out you were his daughter and he does now. You have no idea what it took for him to allow you to see Sloane. He didn't want Sloane to use you as a pawn in whatever game he has. He didn't want to risk you getting hurt."  
  
"I know," she nodded. "I know he had the best of intentions but I needed to see him."  
  
"What happened when you went to see him?"  
  
"Now what I wanted to, and everything Jack said would happen," shrugged sadly. "Sydney I needed to know why he did it. What his intentions were for me. Why he kept me away from you? I needed to know in order to understand who I am. I'm different I'm not the same person I was when I first came to LA four months. I'm not even the same person I was four weeks ago. I've known Arvin since I was six years old and Syd he was always my knight in shining armor. He was the kindest man I knew. I wanted him to adopt me; I wanted him to be my father. That man wasn't real. It was just an illusion, a façade he presented to hide his true self. Sydney nothing could have prepared me to meet the man that he really was. He was evasive, wouldn't answer my questions, he would just twist my words around and make them into things that they just weren't; implications that were unfounded. Jack said he wouldn't interfere unless it was absolutely necessary. He followed that. But Arvin was manipulating my words and using them to play on Jack and I got angry and I did something incredibly stupid."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I basically told Arvin... not in so many words but- I told him Jack was my father."  
  
"I see, I take it that didn't go over well."  
  
"An understatement," she nodded. "So for the rest of the time he used it to get under my skin to get under Jack's and to make me undermine anything Jack has ever told me. I knew exactly what he was doing but I was powerless to stop him. I just kept hoping that he would tell me the truth. And then he started talking about Irina and Jack just pulled me out. It was a waste of time. I'd never seen Arvin like that, so manipulative and deceitful." Kat shrugged feeling utterly defeated.  
  
"Katy, about Irina-"  
  
"No," Kat cut her off. "I don't want to talk about her. I hate her. Everything that she is I hate. I've never hated anyone like I hate her." Kat's eyes grew dark and cold as she spoke. "I despise that woman, I truly hate her and I couldn't care less if she died."  
  
"You're angry, you don't mean that," Syd tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "She's not exactly my favorite person but Katy's she's my mother, she's our mother."  
  
"You're wrong," Kat interrupted her voice trembled slightly with anger. "I do hate her and she is not my mother-" a knock at the door interrupted them.  
  
"Hey I'll get that, it's probably Vaughn; why don't you put on the popcorn and we can watch the other video and talk again after?"  
  
"Sure," Kat stood and went into the kitchen.  
  
Sydney opened the door. "Dad?" she said surprised.  
  
"Hi Sydney," he said stepping inside.  
  
"You're back early, your trip went well?"  
  
"Yes," he nodded. "I won't stay I just have something for Katy."  
  
"Oh I'll get her-"  
  
"Sydney no," Jack shook his head and Sydney thought she detected a near bit of nervousness in his voice. "Would you just give it to her?" he passed Sydney a medium sized cardboard box.  
  
"Dad no, I really think you should give it to her, she'd like to see you," she protested and handed back the box. "Katy!"  
  
"Sydney no-"Jack wasn't able to finish his sentence.  
  
"Sydney I think you need to get a new microwave," Kat called out as she approached the front door. "I hit the popcorn button but it just explod-," Kat held out the steaming bag of scorched popcorn. "Hi?"  
  
"Hello Katarina," Jack greeted her with a small nod.  
  
"Hi Jack."  
  
"Dad came back early and he brought you something," Sydney grabbed the bag of charcoled kernels from her. "I'll take this."  
  
"You got me a present?" she asked surprised.  
  
"Yes," Jack handed her the box. "Be careful," he cautioned and she set the box down on the floor to open it.  
  
"What is it?" Kat asked curiously.  
  
"Just open it," Syd laughed eager to see what was inside herself.  
  
Kat eyed Jack suspiciously as she began to open the box. "Oh my gosh," she whispered reaching in. "It's a kitten." Kat stood up holding the tiny orange and white striped tabby to her chest and the sleepy feline snuggled into her neck.  
  
"It's a boy," Jack turned and retrieved a small grocery bag of litter and food. "I know you missed your other one so..."  
  
"He's perfect," she grinned as the kitten licked her cheek.  
  
"I've something else too." Jack picked up another bag and retrieved two wrapped packages. "Sydney," he handed her one.  
  
"Thank you," she was surprised. Her father hadn't brought her home presents from business trips since she was a little girl. Opening the wrapped bundle she was pleasantly surprised to find several old leather bound books. They were first editions filled with poetry from various authors of the early 18th century. "They're beautiful, thanks dad," Sydney gave him a quick hug before turning her attention back to her sister.  
  
"Les Miserables, and Anna Karenina," she read the titles softly running her fingertips over the leather bound volumes. "My favorites." She beckoned him towards her with her index finger and Jack bent down slightly to more her level. Standing up on her tiptoes Kat reached up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Jack."  
  
"You're welcome," Jack said gruffly surprised at her slight show of affection. "I'd better get going."  
  
"Wait, couldn't you stay a while?" Kat asked laughing as the kitten licked her nose. "We were going to watch a movie, maybe you could watch it with us?"  
  
"Yeah, come on Dad," Sydney took his arm guiding him in.  
  
Jack and Kat entered the living room and Jack sat on the sofa watching curiously as Kat wrapped herself and the kitten up in a blanket shivering slightly. "Sydney?" he called to her and walked into the kitchen. "Is Katy all right?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah sure," she nodded popping another bag of popcorn in the microwave. "She's great actually. She solved that code today."  
  
"What did it say?" he asked taking a seat on one of stools.  
  
Sydney grabbed a bottle of scotch from the liquor cabinet and poured her father a glass. "It's an address in St. Petersburg, a combination for a safe and a nursery rhyme."  
  
"A nursery rhyme?" he asked skeptically  
  
"I know weird. Weiss and Vaughn are checking into it, we'll probably end up going tomorrow if everything checks out. You got her a kitten?" She shook her head laughing.  
  
"I found it near a dumpster at her old apartment in the city," Jack explained. "There was a litter of them. Her neighbor took the others to the animal shelter but I thought she'd like him, he was the runt and she missed her old cat." Hearing a tiny squeak Jack looked down to see the little runt looking up at him and meowing. "Katy?" he called but did not receive an answer. Picking the kitten up Jack and Sydney went into the living room to find Kat asleep curled up on the couch. "Katy?" Jack called again and this time she woke up.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Jack sat down on the edge of the couch. "Are you alright?" he asked seeing her shiver again. "You have a fever," he put his hand to her forehead. Turning his head slightly he saw the empty pizza box on the floor and melted ice cream bowls and empty water bottles and water pitcher on the end table. "Sydney," he sighed.  
  
"Oh don't yell at her," Kat mumbled. "It was my fault."  
  
"Sit up." Jack took her hands pulling her to a sitting position.  
  
"Come on," she groaned. "I really, really have a headache."  
  
"I would hope so," Jack reached for her glucose test kit. "You're hyperglycemic."  
  
"It just kind of snuck up on me," she explained as Jack tested her blood and then loaded a syringe with the appropriate amount of insulin to counter her high sugar level.  
  
Sydney sat next to her father holding the kitten. "I should have kept a better eye on her."  
  
"She knew exactly what she was doing," Jack inserted the needle into Kat's thigh. "Too much sugar results in high glucose. High glucose leads to Hyperglycemia and possibly diabetic coma."  
  
"But insulin counteracts the sugar and twenty minutes and I'll be fine. It was stupid I know, I'm sorry." The phone rang and Sydney passed Kat the kitten as she went to answer it. "How about Oliver?" Kat asked Jack.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"His name, Oliver, -what do you think?"  
  
"Cute," he said after a moment wondering why she cared as to what he thought of the kitten's name.  
  
"Oliver it is," Kat allowed the kitten to snuggle up in her neck. "Sydney said you went to New York."  
  
"Yes," Jack sat down beside her. "I needed to tie up some loose ends about Kathryn. I reported her death to the police and the place where you worked. It was a car accident. I talked to your boss, nice guy."  
  
"He is," Kat nodded. "He gave me a break when no one else would."  
  
"He said at least once a month different music agents approached him trying to sign you but you always said no."  
  
"Yeah, I was happy with my life, I didn't want things to change. But two days after The Covenant took me, I was scheduled to meet with an owner to sign a recording contract. I was going to make a record but I guess not anymore."  
  
"No," Jack shook his head. "Your boss did give me some of the things that had been left at the club. Some photographs, music and your guitar and violin, they're at my apartment."  
  
"Thanks, I missed playing." Jack stood and Kat grabbed his hand. "Sit with me a minute?" she requested.  
  
"If you'd like," Jack sat back down and Kat moved to the middle seat to sit beside him. They sat in silence for several minutes before Kat finally spoke. "So I've been doing some thinking about you and me," she began her voice trembling slightly with nervousness. "And, you're my father, my real father. So I suppose it's kind of disrespectful for me to call you by your first name."  
  
"What are you saying exactly?" He asked quietly.  
  
"I've never been able to call anyone Dad, I mean I had Papa but he wasn't real, he wasn't my father," Kat stared at the kitten in her lap as she spoke. "I was kind of thinking that maybe we could try it out? I know it would be weird, take some getting used to. Maybe it won't work at all but maybe we could give it a shot. Only if you want to of course."  
  
"That would fine," Jack nodded in agreement hoping his hesitance didn't show  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
"Thanks," Kat leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck tears slipped from her eyes. Jack held her close and rubbed her back his eyes closed in relief and happiness. "Thanks Daddy," she whispered in his ear.  
  
The first time he'd heard that word Sydney had been around a year and a half. Mama had been her first word. Cat and dog soon followed along with several others but not Dada. Jack had been deeply involved with Project Christmas at the time, spending long hours at the office and away on business trips for weeks at a time he barely saw his daughter not enough for her to know who her father was. He'd come home exhausted after a particularly difficult field mission. Sydney was asleep and Laura had been teaching a night class so when he arrived home he'd paid the baby sitter and retired alone to the dimly lit bedroom. They'd lost three agents on that mission and it was the lowest of lows for him when he questioned everything that he stood for and everything that he was fighting for. What was he fighting for? The ideology of the times was shrouded in political lies and deceit. The lines of good versus bad were blurred and easily crossed and it seemed like there would never be an end in sight. His head was down; his eyes closed in a fleeting attempt to avoid the oncoming headache. He didn't see her coming not until he heard the soft thud of her pampered bottom hitting the carpeted floor and he looked up. She must have climbed out of her crib, when had she learned to do that—he could just add it to the growing list of things he'd missed. Her chestnut hair fell in curls to her shoulders and her eyes were dark and wide. She got to her feet her hands planted firmly on the floor, her rear end high in the air as she straightened herself and toddled towards him in her little footie pajamas holding out her arms to him and then uttered the sweetest words he'd ever heard. "Daddy." He'd simply picked her up and held her in his arms rubbing her back in a circular motion until she'd fallen asleep and long after that. She was the reminder of what he was fighting for.  
  
Hearing Katarina call him Daddy, truly call him and acknowledge him as her father mirrored the image of eighteen month old Sydney calling him Daddy. Indeed they were still the sweetest words a father could hear.  
  
Sydney tucked the phone under her ear as she got a glass from the cupboard and listened to Vaughn explain the Op details. "And everything checked-" She lost her words as she turned and saw Katy hugging their father. She was crying but Sydney suspected that they weren't tears of sadness. The smile on her sister's face convinced her of that.  
  
"Syd you there-?" Vaughn's voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned away from them.  
  
"Yeah I'm here sorry." Sydney opened the fridge door and pulled out the juice pouring some into the glass. "You're sure there's no way around it?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, Devlin laid it out, there is no other option. Your father will run the op from base camp though." Vaughn and Sydney continued to talk for several more minutes before he said goodnight.  
  
"Goodnight Vaughn." Sydney hung up the phone and grabbed the bowl of popcorn heading back into the living room. "Got the-"she stopped short seeing her father. He sat on the end of the couch and Kat lay asleep, her head in his lap and the kitten cuddled in the crook of her neck. Jack had spread a blanket over her small frame and was now absently stroking her silken hair as she slept.  
  
"That was Vaughn," she said quietly sitting on the coffee table to face him.  
  
"They verified the Intel, the address is a property in St. Petersburg, no one has lived there for years but the maintenance has been kept up on it. Property records show it is registered to Alexander Khasinau. We're going in tomorrow and you're running the op from basecamp. There is one thing though..."  
  
Jack's eyes met hers as he looked up from his sleeping daughter.  
  
"Kat's coming with us."  
  
A/N Now I know some of you are wondering who Aidan MacGreggor is well I had to change his characters name. He was Jake MacGyver/JD Salenger, the CIA Agent who was undercover in Spain but he is now Aidan MacGreggor.  
  
Coming Up: The team goes to St. Petersburg Russia to search for scroll 47 but they are met with an unlikely surprise. 


	45. Chapter Forty Four

Redemption  
  
Chapter Forty Four  
  
Jack sat at the communications desk as calmly as one could in his situation. They'd lost communications abruptly with the team in St. Petersburg twenty minutes earlier after what sounded like gunfire had filled the airwaves. In addition to the communications loss the infrared sensors which picked up heat and they used to track the teams movement had also stopped functioning.  
  
Marshall was pounding quickly on his keyboard attempting to recover the lost signals or at least determine what had happened. "Well good news and bad news," he announced. "Someone has deliberately interrupted our satellite feed for the infrared and scrambled the coding. I've tried to bypass theirs but no luck. None of the team's communications have been damaged as far I can tell they've just been turned off-  
  
"Why would they be turned off?" Kendall fumed. "We're assembling a recovery team at a nearby location. I want to review their last communication Marshall."  
  
Marshall pulled up the communications tape and began replaying the last two minutes "You don't think she actually shot any of them right?" he asked Jack. "I mean she wouldn't do that, she wouldn't hurt Sydney right?" His question went unanswered as they all listened to the tape.  
  
"You don't need to do this." "Stop." "It doesn't have to be like this." "Katy put the gun down. Just put it down. It's not the answer you know that." "Just stop!" "Do you see what you've done?" "Katy put the gun down, please just put it down." "I can't." "Katy, No!!!!"  
  
The last sound they heard was an ear-piercing scream as the gunfire began.  
  
"That was her screaming wasn't it," Marshall asked nervously. "That was Kat."  
  
"You should never have sent her," Jack told Kendall accusingly. "Katarina was not ready for this."  
  
"I had no choice Jack-"They were interrupted as a voice crackled through the communications link.  
  
"Base Camp this is Boy Scout, do you copy? I repeat Base Camp do you copy?"  
  
"Boy Scout, this is Base Ops, you're coming through loud and clear. Are you all right? What happened we heard gunfire?" Kendall asked.  
  
"It was tranq darts," Vaughn explained. "Scriber, Retriever and Mountaineer are coming around now."  
  
"Where is 'Shiner?" Kendall asked his eyes meeting Jack's cold ones.  
  
"I don't know," he said hesitantly.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know?" Jack thundered.  
  
"I mean I don't know. She's not here I don't know where she is!"  
  
~ ~ ~ Forty Minutes Earlier  
  
"Nervous?"  
  
Kat nodded her eyes darting around nervously at the others that were getting ready for the infiltration.  
  
"You'll be fine," Vaughn gave her a smile as he adjusted the strap on her bulletproof vest. He helped her pull the knitted black turtleneck over her head and then adjusted the communications in her ear. "Just stay with Will at all times and let him know if you recognize anything."  
  
"Okay," she nodded. "Thanks Mike."  
  
"No problem Kit-Kat," Vaughn ruffled her hair slightly as he passed and went to check his guns.  
  
Kat lifted herself up onto the counter of the small trailer they were occupying while readying for the operation. She took a shaky breath as her hands formed fists at her sides.  
  
Everything was happening so fast. One minute Sydney was waking her up and the next she was on a plane to Russia. The plan was to infiltrate the house, secure it, and then Kat would search for the scroll. That was assuring that she actually recognized the house. The others were old pros at this, she wasn't and it scared her. This wasn't like Spain. This wasn't a game where she was pretending to be someone else. For the first time she was herself and this was real.  
  
At Sydney's command they moved out. Weiss disabled the security and then the five moved in. Kat stayed with Will as they spread out each taking a section of the house.  
  
Will adjusted his ski hat as they moved up the stairs. It was an old house and the stairs creaked under their weight. The upkeep had been done well since Alexander Khasinau's death. Not a spec of dust could be seen and not a thing was out of place. The house was richly decorated. Plush carpeted hallways were lined with various pieces of art. All one of a kind originals.  
  
"Do you recognize anything?" Will asked.  
  
"No," she said softly. "Nothing."  
  
"Base Camp this is Scriber," Will communicated with Jack who was running the operation from the JTF back in LA. "'Shiner hasn't recognized anything so far."  
  
"All right Scriber, keep us posted," Kendall spoke despite Jack's harsh glare.  
  
"I'm going to check out those rooms up there, stay here." Will requested.  
  
"Sure," she nodded. Kat turned and began examining the paintings on the wall as Will made his way down the hall. She recognized them but she wasn't sure if they were from a book or from her past.  
  
She trailed her fingers along the old wallpaper walking back to the beginning of the hall. The wallpaper didn't seem right to her though. It was striped but it should have been cream with tiny blue flowers. Her finger caught the edge of a peeled corner and she pulled it back. Cream with faded blue flowers. Tracing the edges she tried to remember more. She tried but there was nothing.  
  
There was a small table at the end of the hall. Dark cherrywood sitting below a window. Kat pulled her ski hat off as she noticed something on the table. A vase of fresh cut daisies. She pulled one out and smelt it briefly before crushing it in her palm, her hand shaking.  
  
After clearing the two rooms, Will entered the hallway once more, "Kat?" She wasn't there. He called her name again, louder this time. But still nothing. Quickly he checked the other rooms. Nothing. "'Shiner, this is Scriber please respond." Will waited a moment before trying again. "'Shiner, what is your location?"  
  
"Agent Tippin what is going on?" Kendall drummed his fingers on the desk.  
  
"She's not here."  
  
"What do you mean she's not there?" Jack asked his voice rising with every word.  
  
"She was here a second ago, now she's gone," Will explained.  
  
"Katarina answer me right now," Jack clenched his hand around a coffee cup. Marshall watched him wondering if it could actually break.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Base Ops this is Mountaineer, what's going on where is she?" Sydney asked nervously.  
  
"Katarina?"  
  
No answer  
  
"Katarina, answer me."  
  
"She's not on the second floor," Will stopped at the end of the hallway. "Is her com link broken?"  
  
"Marshall!"  
  
"I'm on it." Marshall wheeled his chair around to the other desk and began typing furiously on a computer. "It's..... off," he announced.  
  
"Off?" Kendall asked.  
  
"She turned it off."  
  
"Team, this is base Ops," Kendall stood and began pacing the floor. "It appears Kat has turned off her com link. Find her and get out of there."  
  
"I found something," Will knelt down in front of a small table. "It's her hat." Lying beside the black article were several flower petals and to the right Will saw a set of stairs going up, with several more crushed petals. He drew his gun. "I think she might be on the third floor, I'm going up."  
  
"Keep us apprised Scriber."  
  
Will ascended the stairs quietly his gun drawn to his side. He wiped a sheen of sweat from his brow and readjusted his grip on the gun. There was an open door at the end of the hall. His breathing was shallow as he neared it. There was definitely movement inside but he had no idea what he would find.  
  
Aiming his gun he stepped inside the room. "Damn," he swore. He kept his gun aimed and spoke into his com link. "Syd, fourth floor, last door on the left. You need to get up here now." He eyed Kat nervously keeping his gun aimed.  
  
Kat stood several feet in front of him her fingers clutched tightly around a silver .48. She swallowed hard and her hands shook slightly but she never lowered her gun. Her eyes were dark and cold, unfeeling.  
  
"Kat?" Will took a step towards her.  
  
"Stop." Kat cocked the gun. "Don't come any closer Will." 


	46. Chapter Forty Five

A/N Hope everyone is enjoying. I have a new story out called Second Chances is the link if you want to read.  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Forty Five  
  
Kat stood several feet in front of him her fingers clutched tightly around a silver .48. She swallowed hard and her hands shook slightly but she never lowered her gun. Her eyes were dark and cold, unfeeling.  
  
"Kat?" Will took a step towards her.  
  
"Stop." Kat cocked the gun. "Don't come any closer Will."  
  
"Kat why don't you put the gun down?" he asked not even sure where it had come from. It wasn't her tranq gun.  
  
"I can't." There was a quiver in her voice that she tried to hide but he heard it.  
  
Weiss and Vaughn entered the room first, both their guns drawn in anticipation. "Whoa," Weiss aimed his gun and then backed up to where Will was standing.  
  
"Syd?"  
  
"I'm almost there," they could hear her voice down the hall. She was approaching the room quickly her gun drawn. "Oh God Katy no," she whispered  
  
"Sydney what is your status, what is going on?" Jack asked, his fingers were still clenched around the coffee mug threatening to break the handle off.  
  
"It's Katy, she has a gun, a .48," Syd said softly. "Dad, she has a gun on mom."  
  
Irina Derevko sat calmly in the leather chair; her hands folded in her lap. Kat stood across from her, her hands shaking slightly as she aimed the loaded gun at her mother's head, her finger hovering over the trigger.  
  
Looking around Sydney knew where they were. It was an office, and the safe, which would contain scroll 47, was open and empty.  
  
"Kat, you don't need to do this," Sydney took a few steps towards her.  
  
"Don't come any closer Sydney," Kat adjusted her grip on the gun.  
  
"Listen to your sister Katy," Irina's voice was calm and collected. If she felt any nervousness at having a gun aimed at her head, she certainly didn't let it show.  
  
"Shut up." Kat took a step closer.  
  
"Now is that any way to talk to your mother?"  
  
"You're not my mother," Kat said coldly. "My mother abandoned me when I was five years old."  
  
"Alison Porter left you, I never did." Her voice lacked any amusement.  
  
"Don't try your games with me. I know you better than you think."  
  
"Sydney, tell her to put her com link on I want to talk to her." Jack took a sip of coffee attempting to keep his nerves in check.  
  
"Katy, dad wants to talk to you," Sydney took a few steps towards her.  
  
"Stay back."  
  
"I'm just going to turn your com link on," Syd explained. She closed the distance between them in a few steps and fiddled with Kat's earpiece. "It's on," she told Jack.  
  
"Katarina what are you doing?" Jack asked.  
  
"She has to pay."  
  
"You won't be just taking her life. Katy this isn't self defense, this is murder."  
  
"She has to pay." Kat's lower lip trembled as several tears escaped her eyes. "She has to pay for what she did to me, and Sydney; Michael and Eric, everyone. She has to pay for what she did to you Daddy."  
  
Irina was clearly getting nervous. She was alone and unarmed with a gun pointed at her head and Kat was getting shakier as the minutes passed.  
  
"She will pay Katy, but not like this," Jack swallowed hard. "You can't do this."  
  
"I'm sorry Daddy," she whispered and turned her com link off.  
  
"Katarina? Sydney?"  
  
"Yes dad." Syd answered.  
  
"Use the tranq gun if you have to."  
  
"Yes dad."  
  
Irina cocked her head to one side as she studied the expression on Kat's face. "You called him Daddy."  
  
"He's my father isn't he. Unless of course you've decided to change that fact, which given your past history wouldn't really surprise me."  
  
"That's enough Katarina."  
  
"You know you're absolutely right, that is enough." Kat took several steps towards Irina leveling the gun against her temple. "Do you know how long I have thought about this moment? Agonized over whether or not it would eventually happen. If I would do it? Moscow was a mistake. If I'd known it was you I wouldn't have been so quick to save your life."  
  
"You're angry Katarina I understand that but you don't need to do this." Irina slowly stood up. "It's not worth it. You'll go to jail, it's not worth throwing your life away."  
  
"Stop," Kat took a step backwards. "Don't come any closer."  
  
"It doesn't have to be like this," Irina took another step towards her.  
  
"Shut up," Kat screamed. Tears streamed down her face, her face was twisted in emotional pain. She was losing control.  
  
"Katy put the gun down. Just put it down. It's not the answer you know that."  
  
"Just stop!" she shouted at Irina. "Don't you see what you've done?"  
  
"Katy put the gun down, please just put it down." Sydney begged keeping her tranq gun trained on her sister.  
  
"I can't," she sobbed. Her eyes closed and her hands stilled she placed her finger on the trigger.  
  
"Katy, No!!!!" 


	47. Chapter Forty Six

Redemption  
  
Chapter Forty Six  
  
Irina had a firm grip on her daughter as she somewhat forcefully pushed her down the hallway. Kat struggled trying to get away from her but it was useless, the older woman was much stronger and bigger than she was.  
  
"Why did you do that?" Kat shouted at Irina.  
  
Ignoring her daughters shouting Irina guided her down the stairs and into the dining room. Before she knew it Kat was sitting on a chair, her hands and feet cuffed to the sturdy wood.  
  
"They were tranq darts. Your sister and friends will be awake in twenty minutes," Irina explained. "Now stop struggling, you'll bruise your wrists."  
  
Kat pulled against the handcuffs for a few more seconds before residing to the fact that she wasn't going to be getting out of them any time soon. She watched Irina pull the .48 out of her waistband. "What, are you going to shoot me too? That's what you did the first time you saw Sydney?"  
  
"No," Irina said coldly, fully aware of the implications Kat was making. She set the gun on the table and then grabbed a chair and flipped it around backwards. She straddled the chair and rested her arms and chin on the back. "When you have a gun on someone, you had better be fully prepared to use it, otherwise you've only succeeded in killing yourself. Alright now Katarina, let's have a little chat."  
  
"F*** off," Kat rolled her eyes and looked past Irina at an imaginary spot on the wall. "I don't have anything to say to you."  
  
"Watch your language young lady," Irina scolded. "I certainly never taught you to speak like that."  
  
"No you didn't that's right," she said sarcastically. "You left me with three bullet holes in my stomach, while you went around the world and did who knows what with who knows who, because I was the dark dirty little secret that would have infringed on all your plans. Which were what exactly? Taking over the world, murdering CIA Agents, killing Vaughn's father—"  
  
"That's enough," Irina cut her off and Kat could practically see her anger rising as the vein in her forehead showed its colors. "We are not here to discuss my actions. We're here to talk about you."  
  
"Well I don't want to, so what are you going to do send me to my room without supper?" Kat glanced at Irina's tight fists, her knuckles were turning white in an attempt to control her anger and Kat knew she had her exactly where she wanted. "Do you know what it's like to go to bed without supper?" she asked casually.  
  
"Stop."  
  
"Because I do," she continued. "When I was twelve, I was in this foster home, the best one I'd been in, in a long time; enough food to eat, clean sheets, warm blankets. Well at least that's what I thought. I'd been there about a week when it happened. One of the other kids broke a window and I was the new kid so of course they blamed it on me. Only problem is I wouldn't fess up so I got sent to my room without my supper. The next day, I still denied it. You see I had this false idea that my foster parents would actually believe me over their biological children. They didn't. I didn't eat for four days because I wouldn't confess to something I didn't do. Four days, no breakfast, no lunch and no dinner, and then I finally did. I lied and told them I broke the window. I didn't get food though, I got moved to a new foster home. And that's where it happened, where I got—" Kat stopped suddenly realizing the tears were running down her face, she'd said too much.  
  
"Where you got what?" Irina asked softly. Her hands reached out framing Kat's face and she thumbed away her tears.  
  
"Don't talk to me," she whispered.  
  
"Where you got pregnant?"  
  
"I said don't talk to me, you don't know anything," Kat screamed at her. "You leave him out of this, you leave Joshua out of this. He hasn't done anything wrong, he's just a child, he's just a baby-"  
  
Irina dropped her hands. The implications of her daughter's words, the words she hadn't meant to stay rang in her ears. She didn't press her for more information. Asking for more would destroy everything she'd been trying to accomplish. Irina tucked a stray lock of hair behind her daughter's ear as she waited for Kat to regain her composure. When she looked up again, her eyes were clear and she was cool.  
  
"What is it that you want? Why are you doing this to me?"  
  
"Why are you here?" Irina asked. "Why are you continuing this futile search for something you don't know anything about."  
  
"Don't talk to me," Kat said coldly. "I don't intend to give you any information and betray the CIA, betray my country."  
  
"You don't work for the CIA," she said through clenched teeth.  
  
"My loyalty remains with my country."  
  
"Stop looking for the scroll Katarina," Irina sighed. "I don't want you involved in this. I don't want you involved in this life-"  
  
"Get over yourself," she scoffed. "I've been involved in this life from the day I was born. You put me in this life mother, you! The only break I had was your twelve-year hiatus. You could have actually done something good for a change and left me with my father, but no then you would have revealed your little secret."  
  
"I did it to protect you." Irina stood and paced the floor in front of Kat's chair. "If the KGB found out you were alive, they would have killed you. For the first two years you were safe. We were in hiding and then Alexander found us. I had to tell him that he was your father, if he knew that Jack was your father—I feared his reaction. He blackmailed me Katy. We pretended Petrov was your father, it was safer. He wanted to keep an eye on us, to keep an eye on me and ensure that I wouldn't attempt to return to Jack. He used Jack and Sydney's lives as leverage against yours and my compliance with his wishes."  
  
Kat watched Irina walk the floor attempting to judge for herself whether or not she was telling the truth.  
  
"Somehow the KGB found out you existed and where we were. They sent orders. Alexander was to bring you and I back to Russia. How did they find out is the question. I now know it was a set up. Alexander accused Petrov of leaking the information. He admitted it. Alexander killed his brother."  
  
"Or so you thought."  
  
"Yes." Irina turned the chair around and sat back down leaning forwards in her seat. "It was a set up to make me believe that Alexander actually cared about you. Alexander leaked the information himself. You spent a year in Russia in his care and that was exactly what he wanted. I was constantly sent on missions, I was lucky if I saw you once a month."  
  
"I don't believe you," Kat shook her head.  
  
"Something happened and I told Alexander that it was the last one. I came back early, he wasn't expecting me, and I found you."  
  
"Stop," there was a fearful quiver in her voice.  
  
"You wouldn't look at me. There was blood on your hands."  
  
"I don't want to hear this."  
  
"You were four-years-old Katarina and there was blood on your hands, and your shoes, you wouldn't look at me there was something wrong with you."  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
"Why was there blood on your hands, what do you remember?"  
  
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Kat screamed. "I don't know, I don't remember."  
  
"That's when I realized that he was training you," Irina said calmly. That he wanted you in Russia to train you. Whether or not you were his daughter didn't matter. He knew you were special. He was exploiting you for his own benefit." Irina looked over at her daughter unsure of whether or not she was actually remembering anything or if she just didn't want to hear it. "His guards took me away, I didn't see you for three days. When I did, it was your birthday-"  
  
"The night we left Russia. The night Alex showed me The Contessa-"  
  
"That's right," Irina fell to her knees in front of her daughter a smile on her face. "You remember Alexander, You remember Papa, you remember Russia and living here in this very house, The Contessa. You remember being Katarina. That night I took you and we left Russia. We went to New York and Katy we were happy, you loved New York, you stopped having bad dreams that you wouldn't talk about and then Alexander found us again."  
  
"You left me."  
  
"Yes I did," Irina nodded blinking tears from her eyes. "Alexander found me. He was training you for the KGB, a variation of project Christmas. They wanted you back, they would do anything to get you back." Irina wiped the tears from her face. "He came to me at the store and then you showed up. They just reacted when they shot you, you weren't supposed to be there. It was an accident. Your blood was all over me and he pulled me out of the store, the ambulance was almost there. I made a deal with him. Regardless of whether you lived or died, he would report to the KGB that you were dead and I would go with him, work with him. If I didn't he would have turned you over to the KGB and they would have used you. I couldn't allowed that to happen, you were so young, I knew what would happen."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"Listen to me Katarina," Irina begged. "Listen to what I am telling you. I worked with him, and he provided me with false information on your living situation. Our deal was that I worked with him and once you turned eighteen, he would extract you. It was the only way I could keep you safe. When Sydney found me, it was clear that he was making plans to extract you early. You were barely sixteen; I couldn't allow that to happen so I killed him. I stayed away to keep you safe, to keep you out of this life. If I told Jack and Sydney about you, it would have gotten back to the people who knew you ever existed, ex-KGB and to my enemies and you never would have been safe."  
  
"It didn't work."  
  
Irina shook her head. "I was in hiding when The Covenant found out about you. I don't know how, but they did."  
  
"And that makes it okay?" Kat's voice began to rise. "Do you have any idea what they did to me. I was six years old when it started. I had a baby when I was thirteen. Thirteen!"  
  
"I did what I had to do," Irina stood and sat back down on the chair. "Yes I regret the outcome and I would kill anyone who harmed you. But you are alive now. I don't regret that. Everything I did was for your protection."  
  
"Sometimes I'd rather I was dead."  
  
"No," Irina said firmly. "But if you continue in this search, you are only placing yourself in even more danger. You could end up dead and that is not an option. Stop looking."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"You have to."  
  
"Don't you understand," Kat began struggling against the handcuffs again. "This is never going to end, not until I find it. I'm the only one who should know where it is and I can't remember. They aren't going to leave me alone until I find it, the Covenant, Khasinau, The CIA, you!"  
  
"Stop!" Irina was on her feet and scared Kat suddenly grabbing her chair and pushing it backwards slamming into the table. "Stop looking!" Seeing the fear in her daughters eyes, Irina walked away to calm herself. Kat blinked the tears from her eyes and struggled to regain control of her breathing barely able to believe that Irina had come so close to hitting her. A few moments later Irina returned. "I'm sorry I don't want to scare you but this is serious. The scroll is not here, I don't know where it is but if you continue looking for it, you are putting yourself and those around you in grave danger. The consequences would be severe. You will not aid the CIA any further."  
  
"You know something about the scroll don't you," Kat whispered. "That's why you don't want me to find it."  
  
Irina pulled the chair closer to her daughter and sat down. Her hands moved to Kat's face threading her fingers through her hair several times. "You are everything I hoped you be," she said softly. "Strong, beautiful, independent, caring, courageous, determined, stubborn, loyal, wonderful and amazing."  
  
Kat watched her carefully seeing the tears slip down Irina's cheeks.  
  
"I remember every single detail about the first time I held you in my arms. You were such a good baby and always so quiet. I looked into your eyes and I knew I was in love. You were mine, all mine." Irina smoothed Kat's hair tucking it behind her ears. "I have to go, there isn't much time." Her hands framed Kat's face and she kissed her daughter's forehead before resting hers against it. "I love you. That was never a lie. My love for you, for your sister, and your father has always been true." Irina stood and leaned down and kissed Kat's forehead once more. "Please listen to what I said Katarina. I love you sweetheart, remember how much I've always loved you."  
  
And then she was gone with the grace and mysteriousness that was Irina Derevko and left her daughter scared and alone struggling separate reality and memories. 


	48. Chapter Forty Seven

A/N Thank you for reading and I hope you are all enjoying Redemption. I'd love to know what you think of the story so please reply good or bad and let me know! This chapter is dedicated to Kathryn, her help with this chapter was awesome and I thank her so much  
  
E  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Forty Seven  
  
Vaughn groaned turning over. His head felt heavy as he sat up and looked around. Blinking rapidly he attempted to clear his clouded vision and it was then that he saw the dart in his leg and recalled the past events.  
  
Kat had been holding the gun against her mother's temple. Her finger wavering dangerously over the trigger as she fought for control of herself. Irina was incredibly calm but Sydney kept yelling at her sister to stop. Kat wouldn't stop. Her hatred for her mother and the emotions that went along with it were clouding her judgement as she fought an inner battle between what was right and what was wrong. Kat was about to pull the trigger when Irina lunged at her fighting for the gun. It went off several times before Irina claimed it and pulled Kat to her, aiming the gun on her daughter. She commanded the other agents to turn off their comm links and throw down their tranq guns. Irina then pulled a tranq gun of her own and fired four shots rendering the four agents unconscious.  
  
Vaughn crawled over to the others and checked their pulses first to ensure they were steady and then pulled out the tranq darts. "Base Camp this is Boyscout, do you copy? I repeat Base Camp do you copy?"  
  
"Boyscout, this is Base Ops; you're coming through loud and clear. Are you all right? What happened we heard gunfire?" Kendall asked.  
  
"We're fine, it was tranq darts," Vaughn explained. "Scriber, Retriever and Mountaineer are coming around now."  
  
"Where is 'Shiner?" Kendall asked his eyes meeting Jack's cold ones.  
  
"I don't know," he said hesitantly.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know?" Jack stood gripping the back of Marshall's chair as tightly as he could  
  
"I mean I don't know. She's not here I don't know where she is!"  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
As Sydney neared her sister, the twisting pain in her stomach got worse. Kat sat handcuffed to a chair, her head hanging limply with her chin to her chest and her hair covering her face. "Katy?" Syd called to her softly dropping to her knees in front of the chair. Catching the younger girls chin in her palm she slowly raised her head and the pain in her stomach dissipated slightly as Sydney realized Kat was alive and seemingly unharmed. She may have been alive but it was clear she was in a lot of emotional pain. Sydney brushed Kat's hair away from her face revealing red eyes and a tear stained face. As soon as Will freed her hands from the cuffs she wrapped them around Sydney's neck silent tears snaking their way down her cheek.  
  
"It's alright," Syd helped her stand. "You're okay Katy. Mom?"  
  
"She's gone," Kat confirmed.  
  
"Did she hurt you?"  
  
Kat just shook her head.  
  
As Sydney looked at her sister it was very clear that something had happened between Kat and Irina. Something that Kat would much rather pretend never happened at all. They all proceeded back to Khasinau's office.  
  
"Sydney is your sister okay?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yeah," Sydney said. "She's...... she'll be alright. You want to talk to her?" Sydney eyed Kat who just shook her head. "No, she doesn't want to talk to you Dad. Yeah we'll see you back there." She turned off her com link and looked at the others standing in Khasinau's office. "Let's just double check for the scroll and then go home."  
  
"It's not here," Kat said softly standing in the doorway watching them search. "It was never here, she told me."  
  
"Kat's right," Weiss stood. "It's not here, either it never was or Derevko took it already."  
  
The others nodded in agreement and defeated they left the office. Sydney put her arm around her sister as they walked down the stairs. "How did you know she was here?"  
  
Kat stopped at the bottom of the steps and picked up the remaining flower from the vase on the small table. "I used to live here with Alexander. When she used to come see me, she always brought me daisies." Kat raised the flower to her nose inhaling the sweet fragrance and resisting the urge to crush the petals in her hand. Her eyes traveled to the door across the hall and she went over to it grasping the handle before hesitantly opening the door. She took a few steps inside the darkened room.  
  
Sydney turned the light on and they followed her into the room. Looking around the room, she was surprised to find it painted pink and decorated with ballerina teddy bears.  
  
"This was my room," Kat explained to them walking over to a shelf on the wall and examining the dusty figurines. "I lived here when I was four."  
  
"You remember?" Weiss asked curiously sifting through a stack of children's books on bedside table. It seemed the room had been completely untouched since her departure thirteen years before.  
  
"Not exactly," she shrugged. "Just bits and pieces that Irina's told me. I can't even be sure what she said is the truth and I don't really remember anything." Her eyes spanned the walls looking for some bit of familiarity. "I don't-"  
  
"Yes, do you recognize something?" Will came to stand beside her.  
  
"This wasn't here before," she touched a painting on the wall and Will took it off the hook handing it to her. "I painted it," she touched the name on the right hand corner and crawled up on the bed studying the painting.  
  
"You were good," Weiss grinned sitting down next to her. "I couldn't paint that well till at least high school," he teased. "Kat?" he asked concerned seeing the odd expression on her face. "What is it?"  
  
"Jack and Jill," she tapped the painting. Looking closer the others realized what she meant. It was a painting of a hill, a boy, a girl and a well. The rhyme passed her lips as she turned the painting over and began taking it apart. "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling...... The scroll."  
  
"Seriously?" Will lifted the old paper that was hidden behind the frame.  
  
"It looks real," Syd took it from him. "Written in Rambaldi's ever famous invisible ink. You found it Katy, you found scroll 47."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Following the discovery of scroll they left the house and drove to the extraction point several miles away where the CIA plane was waiting to take them back to LA. Sydney threw a blanket over Will and Vaughn who had both fallen asleep shortly after takeoff the tranq darts still having their effects. Weiss sat on one of the sofas attempting to read a book and Kat was curled up on the sofa across from him pretending to be asleep.  
  
Syd sat down beside her and touched Kat's shoulder tentatively knowing she wasn't asleep. "Katy?" she called softly. "What happened with mom?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," she whispered shaking her head.  
  
"Katy please, you have to," Sydney rubbed her back lightly.  
  
"No," Kat pulled away from her and crossed to the other sofa curling up beside Weiss.  
  
"Katy please-"  
  
"No. Syd please just... don't, I just want to forget."  
  
Weiss set his book aside and lifted his arm putting it around Kat and allowing her to lean against him tucking her head under his chin. I'm sorry, he mouthed to Sydney seeing the pain in her eyes.  
  
It's all right; she mouthed back and shrugged understanding that he was the one that Kat needed. The one who didn't ask questions, who just let her be.  
  
Weiss rubbed Kat's back lightly feeling the small shudders as she tried not to cry. She couldn't not hide it from them and Sydney knelt at her feet when her sister held out her hand to her.  
  
"You know what really gets me," Kat said through hiccuped sobs grasping Sydney's hand tightly. "She says she doesn't regret it, none of it. She'd do it again; she'd leave me again knowing what would happen. She says at least then I'd be alive, but-but Syd, how could she do it, this isn't living. I hate her, I hate her so much."  
  
"I know, I'm so sorry," Sydney stroked her hair and then reached for a blanket laying it over Kat and Weiss. "Why don't you just get some sleep okay, things will seem clearer when you wake."  
  
Kat nodded and minutes later she was fast asleep.  
  
"You okay?" Syd asked Weiss adjusting the blanket over the two.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, she's fine," Weiss swallowed hard. "She's not trying to hurt you Sydney. I think, I don't know, I could be wrong but I think she's just trying to protect you."  
  
"I know," Sydney gently wiped the residual tears from Kat's face. "But she shouldn't have to."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Jack sat at his desk as he waited for the team to return. They may have found Rambaldi's scroll 47 but it was a sloppy operation, one that could have cost Katarina her life had Irina not been careful or decided to take the girl with her. He'd attempted to begin his report analysis but he was having difficulty concentrating. Truth be told he wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until he found out exactly what had happened between Kat and Irina.  
  
He didn't have to talk to her to know what she was feeling. Through the window of his office he saw her clenched fists, cold eyes, and hardened expression. Kat was angry. Angry to the point of losing control and breaking. She refused to speak about what had happened with Irina and while the team was sent to debrief and analysis examined the Ramaldi scroll she sat on the leather couch in Jack's office, her fingernails digging into the skin of her palms until they bled.  
  
Knowing she needed an outlet for her anger Jack took her to the training center. He watched her carefully as he taped up her knuckles and then wound the tape tightly around her fingers ensuring that each was secure and well bandaged before lacing up her gloves. If she had any protests against his unusual behavior she certainly didn't voice them.  
  
Standing there in a shirt and tie, he held the punching bag ordering her to pound it. She was hesitant at first. She began with a few light punches until Jack egged her on. Harder and harder she pounded the bag with her fists and kicked with her legs. There were no words spoken but Jack stood his ground and held the bag in place against her vicious assault.  
  
Her movements began very rhythmic, patterned, calculated and educated as she had learned. She attacked the bag envisioning the face of her mother dedicating each punch to someone she had hurt. Jack, Sydney, Eric, Vaughn, herself, and even Joshua. Sweat dripped from her face and she didn't even stop to wipe it away. Little by little she began to lose control and her punches and kicks grew wilder and harder and reckless until Jack pulled her away from the bag for fear she'd hurt herself and she collapsed on the floor, utterly exhausted.  
  
Kat refused to allow Jack to touch her and she sat against the wall for a good ten minutes her knees pulled to her chest trying to catch her breath and stop crying. With all her pent up frustration released she could do nothing but cry until there was nothing left in her to give and only then did she allow Jack to touch her and remove the gloves and tape from her hands revealing the bruised and battered knuckles underneath.  
  
Kat stared at them in fascination, her fingers tracing the red lines of dried blood, the pigmented skin where bruises had already begun to form. She felt nothing, not hurt or pain or even anger; she felt empty, devoid of anything. Her hands still shook trembling from their battle and she fisted to still them. The skin was broke and the welts red and damaged. It seemed fitting to her. Damaged was what she was, it was what she'd always been. No amount of pretending or wishing; no amount of lies or half-truths could conceal what was. She was now and always would be damaged goods.  
  
The reprieve and escape from the real world did not last long and before she knew it they were back in the briefing room awaiting the results of Rambaldi's scroll 47.  
  
The first thing Kat noticed upon entering the room was the surplus of bodies. It had been expected of course but still she was surprised at the amount of extras in the room. She allowed Sydney to lead her to a chair near the head of the table and took a seat in between her sister and father. She recognized some as higher up agents within the JTF. Others were suits; beaurocratic paper pushers who made the decisions, yet never felt their consequences. There was a small mysterious section seated around Carrie and Marshall whom Kat could only assume to be The Rambaldi Experts from The Department of Special Research. It seemed the scroll must have been a true Rambaldi artifact for all of them to be there. The head of the table screamed authority and Kat was surprised to find Ben Devlin sitting among Dixon, Lindsey and Kendall and some higher ups from outside the op center whom she didn't recognize.  
  
It seemed to take an eternity for all to assemble and for Devlin to call the room to order. She tried to listen to his opening remarks and those of Kendall as he explained the last mission, which had recovered Rambaldi's scroll 47. Despite her best efforts to focus her attention on those speaking, it waned with her mental exhaustion, the dullness of the situation and the blah blah blah, Rambaldi, blah blah blah.  
  
Her eyes began to wander studying the other agents. Judging mannerisms had become a habit for her. Analyzing fidgeting, hand gestures and word choice had become her main sources to determine a person's level confidence. If they were truly confident or merely portraying the aura of confidence. She studied them and it took only a few moments to realize they were studying her back.  
  
She glanced around the table rapidly; they were all studying her. They tried to obscure their glances but it was evident the moment she met eyes with any of them. The Rambaldi experts however lacked the ability to be discrete and the more she glanced at the others in the room the more nervous she became wishing the floor would just swallow her whole. Unfortunately she would not be swallowed any time soon and she reset her focus on Kendall.  
  
"You're all aware of what has become known as The Rambaldi Prophecy detailed on Page 47 of his manuscript. The prophecy is that of a woman who has been identified as Agent Sydney Bristow." Kendall changed the slide on the computer monitor to match that of page 47 of the Rambaldi manuscript. "The translation is as follows;  
  
'The woman here depicted will possess unseen marks. Signs that she will be the one to bring forth my works...bind them with fury; a burning anger. Unless prevented, at vulgar cost, this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation. This woman, without pretense, will have had her effect, never having seen the beauty of my sky,  
  
behind Mount Subasio. Perhaps a single glance would have quelled her fire.'" Kendall paused his eyes meeting Sydney's and ignoring the death glare she gave him for having read the prophecy aloud.  
  
"Page twelve of The Rambaldi manuscript mentioned that Scroll 47 was the key to The Contessa. The scroll, which was retrieved by Kat Bristow, Agent Bristow and others from an old residence of Alexander Khasianu's in St. Petersburg has since been analyzed and decoded. We have made an important discovery in regards to Rambaldi and our search for The Contessa. Ms. Bowman would you continue?" he asked of Carrie and she nodded and stood.  
  
"The scroll was analyzed and decoded using the same procedure as Page 47. Scroll 47 is in essence another prophecy. It's a companion to The Prophecy of The Chosen One, it's The Countess Prophecy." Carrie's eyes locked with Kat's and she could see the regret in them as a copy of scroll 47 was plastered across all the terminal screens and Kat immediately recognized an illustration of herself.  
  
"My eye has not created a double illusion for The Chosen One. For this child is The Countess and she shall grow to determine the future of many. She bears both the visible and invisible scars of pain, suffering and struggle of experience through a lifetime. She shall be the one to bind the fury of The Chosen One, whom I depicted and prophesized to be the demise of this world. This child will be faced with difficult decisions and she shall be forced to use The Contessa and choose between the path of good and that of evil. For evil she shall release a fury unknown to man. If the path of good is chosen she shall bring peace to many who, unknowing, would never experience otherwise. Her choice will not be an easy one for either path will bring with it a grave sacrifice. For this child I aspire that the path she chooses shall be justified with her forgiveness and the acceptance of her destiny."  
  
Kat glanced around at the others biting her lip nervously. The believed it; the absurdity of the entire situation was near laughable if they didn't seem so serious and silently she wished she had listened to Irina and left the scroll where it was. They all honestly believed that she could have the power to do anything even remotely similar to what Carrie had read. "Get real," she finally burst out laughing. "You all can't tell me that you honestly believe that? He's a 500 year old nut case!" 


	49. Chapter Forty Eight

Redemption  
  
Chapter Forty Eight  
  
Kat slipped away from the briefing room seemingly unnoticed. Following her outburst the room had erupted into several somewhat shocked but excited conversations regarding the latest Rambaldi development. Jack had launched into a heated discussion with Ben Devlin, while Sydney and Vaughn argued with Kendall and Dixon regarding the public spectacle they'd made of Kat.  
  
The rotunda was oddly quiet as she stepped slipped down one of the corridors needing a reprieve from The Rambaldi insanity. She wasn't anyone special. It was ludicrous. She wasn't the giver of peace or the deliverer of evil. She was just a seventeen-year old girl from New York City trying to live a normal life.  
  
"What is normal anyway," she sighed to herself. Kat sank to the floor wrapping her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. "I want a drink."  
  
Well that wasn't entirely true. Kat had never been a drinker. She'd been in the presence of far too many alcoholics over her life span to even think about touching the stuff. Not that she'd never had the opportunity however. Living in foster care had granted her many opportunities as she'd cleaned up after several alcoholic foster parents. Even living with Jack, she'd often woken in the middle of the night and taken a half-empty glass of scotch from his hand and covered him with a blanket. Not that they ever spoke of it of course and sometimes she wondered if he even knew. She knew Jack could control himself but she still feared that with the consistency of his drinking and the high stress demands of his job, not to mention the high maintenance daughter who'd suddenly been forced upon him, he could potentially be in danger of alcoholism.  
  
"Miss Bristow?" a voice called to her from across the hallway and Kat peeked out from the small alcove she'd been hiding.  
  
"Could I see you in my office please?" Lindsey asked walking back to his office and holding the door open expectantly.  
  
"Mr. Lindsey," she sighed dragging her feet towards him. "I'm sorry about my little outburst in there but come on, you have to admit this whole idea of a prophecy is just ridiculous-"  
  
"Miss Bristow," Lindsey cut her off and held the door open wider. "My office now please, we need to have a talk."  
  
She gave him a curious look as she walked past him and entered the office. He was unusually quiet and somewhat polite for a change. She couldn't help but get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Jack exited the briefing room allowing the door to slam shut behind him. Scanning the rotunda, he was surprised not to see Kat in any of her usual places. He'd seen her slip out some twenty minutes before but had left her alone knowing she needed to herself to process everything that had happened.  
  
The others were still in the briefing room discussing the prophecy and Sydney and Vaughn were preparing to go on a Rambaldi related operation.  
  
Jack caught the attention of a passing agent and inquired as to Kat's whereabouts. The younger agent pointed him in the direction of Lindsey's office.  
  
The blinds had been drawn but from where Jack he stood he could see in through the window on the door.  
  
He caught glimpses of his daughter as she paced the office floor seemingly in a verbal dispute of some sort with Lindsey. Jack approached the office but was immediately warded off by Lindsey's secretary who informed him that Director Lindsey was in a private meeting and he was not to be disturbed for any reason. Jack backed off. Katarina was clearly upset and he knew he would only make matters worse.  
  
It left him unsettled to be turned away from a meeting with his own daughter and he sat down at Sydney's desk to prepare the operations file and keep an eye on Katarina. On more than one occasion he looked to Lindsey's office and saw Kat watching him through the window. The moment their eyes met, her gaze was diverted and he had a feeling there was something more than just the Rambaldi Prophecy that was bothering her.  
  
Jack stood the moment the door opened and began walking towards Katarina as she exited Lindsey's office. Lindsey called her back and she stopped turning towards him. The spoke quietly for a moment and then Lindsey held out his hand. Kat's eyes met her fathers briefly and he thought he saw a flicker of regret as she extended her hand to Lindsey and they shook.  
  
As much as he wanted to go to her, Jack remained where he stood. Kat took her time and walking over to him.  
  
"What was that about—"Jack demanded crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
She didn't respond right away. She held her arms against her chest and avoided his gaze as long as possible. When she finally looked up he saw sadness.  
  
"I need to talk to you," her breathing was uneven and shallow.  
  
Jack nodded expectantly fighting the urge to go and slit Lindsey's throat for whatever he had said to her.  
  
"Not here," she said softly and took his hand guiding him to the corner of the rotunda where they had complete privacy behind closed doors.  
  
Kat studied his face and opened her mouth to speak several times but no words came out.  
  
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"There's something that you're not going to like," her voice shook with a nervousness he had grown accustomed to hearing far too often. "Jack---Dad, I'm going away," she tried to smile but it was a failed attempt as she feared his reaction.  
  
His expression did not change and it made it that much harder for Kat to look him in the eye.  
  
"Did you hear what I said?" she asked biting her lip.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, then say something," she pleaded.  
  
Jack shook his head unsure of what she wanted to hear or more so what he could say. She wasn't just going away, there was far more to it than that. That part had been clear from the handshake he'd witnessed between Kat and Lindsey. Jack crossed his arms over his chest and spoke through gritted teeth. "Katarina, what have you done?"  
  
"I did what I had to do," she spoke quietly obviously affected by his reaction. "I made a deal with Lindsey, with the CIA."  
  
"What kind of a deal?"  
  
"I'm going away," she repeated.  
  
"You've said that already."  
  
"I-Jack I had to make a choice," she said her eyes filling with tears. "I had to choose and I can't live in a prison, Jack you know I can't." She couldn't stop the tears that began to fall.  
  
"Katy, what did you do?" he asked again and gripped her arms tightly.  
  
"I joined the CIA," she whispered.  
  
She nearly cried out in pain as Jack gripped her arms tighter. "You did what."  
  
"I had to, Jack they were going to put me in protective custody, I can't live like that." Her chin trembled as she tried to stay in control of her emotions. I had to choose between witness protection and you and Sydney. I chose my life here. I'm going now, for training."  
  
"Damnit Katarina, why, why did you do it?" Jack asked angrily.  
  
"I didn't have a choice," she tried to explain. "I just found you and Sydney. I can't leave you forever, that's not an option."  
  
"I would have made alternate arrangements, you should have come to me first."  
  
"And what would you have done Jack? Hid me away somewhere? Pretend I didn't exist anymore?" she threw up her hands in frustration. "Don't you understand, it doesn't matter where I am, or what I do, they'll get to me if that's what they want. They'll find me and if they want to they'll kill me, nothing you do can stop that from happening. But I can do something about it. I can at least be happy."  
  
Kat was on the verge of tears once more and Jack looked away hoping to prevent her from crying again.  
  
"I'm happy here, I know it seems crazy with everything that has happened but I am. I won't give up my life here. My friends, my family, Sydney, I won't give them up." She reached up to touch Jack's shoulder forcing him to look at her again. "I can't give YOU up. It's not an option." Jack shook his head and was about to speak but Kat cut him off.  
  
"I'm tired of running, and hiding. This is the only way. Khasinau, or The Covenant, or whoever else is after me, they're not going to stop. This won't be over until one of us finds The Contessa and I'm not going to stop until I do. This is my life, and this ends on my terms, not with a prophecy by some 500-year-old head case whose idea of fun was to screw with people's lives. I'm going to find The Contessa but if something happens to me in the meantime you have to understand that this is my choice, you can't protect me from it."  
  
Her strong voice echoed through the hallway bouncing off the walls as if only to emphasize her point. She'd hoped he would say something but he remained silent.  
  
"I know this isn't what you wanted but it's out of my hands. It was one or the other; I couldn't just stay with you or Sydney anymore. I just did what I had to do."  
  
"No," Jack shook his head. "You did what you wanted to do." He never faltered. His face was stone and his voice calm and steady. "You can be anything that you want to be. You're smart and you're talented, you could be anything. "Doctor, teacher, lawyer, scientist. Anything Katarina, anything and you choose by not this. This is going against everything I've told you, everything that I've wanted for you."  
  
"It's what I have to do." Kat looked past him seeing Agent Cole waiting expectantly for her at Sydney's desk. "I have to go now, Agent Cole is taking me. They just started a new recruit session at the farm and I'm only a few days behind." She hated leaving things this way between them. "Lindsey promised me that I would be placed in this office, with you and Sydney if I successfully completed the training. And I got that in writing," she joked. She smiled at Jack but he made no effort to return it. "I'll be back in a few months. Say good bye to Sydney for me," she requested. "Tell her that... tell her I'll miss her. Bye Jack." She opened the door abruptly but allowed the handle to slip from her fingers when Jack called her name.  
  
He turned to face her, a potential look of sadness on his face and took her hands.  
  
"You probably already know this Katy, but I love you," he said sincerely and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, allowing her his fingers to brush across her cheek and wiped away the remaining tear stains from her cheek. "While I may not agree with your decision, you are old enough to make it and it is your decision. I respect it." Kat looked down at their hands, large ones encompassing small ones.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered blinking back tears as she opened the door again but allowed it to shut once more.  
  
Jack didn't even have time to react before Kat turned and flung herself in his arms, locking her arms around hid neck. He hugged her close, lifting her off the ground sighing contentedly, eyes closed momentarily as she near squeezed the breath right out of him.  
  
"I love you Daddy," she whispered in his ear just before he set her on her feet. "Miss you," she said softly wiping her eyes once more and then she was gone.  
  
Jack watched from behind glass doors as Kat and Agent Cole met and then left the office together with no one suspecting that it would be months before she returned. He was proud, she didn't look back. "I love you too sweetheart," he whispered to her retreating figure. "Miss you." 


	50. Chapter Summaries 3048

Chapter Thirty  
  
The team is on their way to the safehouse. Irina arranges to be extracted before Jack's comes. Kathryn wakes up and pulls on Jacks face to see if he is real. She remembers Irina and tells her to take off her mask, Irina does. Irina tries to talk to her but Kat won't listen and tells Irina that she is not her mother, her mother died when she was five years old. Kat apologizes to Jack for calling him a bad father when they were going to Spain. Kat tells them all that Papa was responsible, that he had never died it had all been a plan to get Kat and Irina in Russia.  
  
Chapter Thirty One  
  
They arrive at the safe house. Irina explains part of her reason for keeping Kathryn away to Jack. If she'd told Jack about Katy when she was born, they all would have been killed including Sydney. Irina tries to talk to Kat but she refuses. She asks Kat what she told khasinau about the Contessa and Kat denies telling him anything. She doesn't know anything. Jack takes the bullet out of Kats leg and sews her up. A helicopter comes and extracts Irina. She'd called Sark for the extraction and Sark reveals that Kathryn lied to Irina about knowing what the Contessa was. Kat failed the lie detector test. She does know what the Contessa is. Lindsey and Kendall meet the team at the landing strip in LA and are surprised to discover Kat is with them. They attempt to place her in protective custody following Devlins orders from before she went missing but she shuts them up by telling them that she knows what the Contessa is. They go back to the JTF.  
  
Chapter Thirty Two  
  
At the JTF the team is debriefed while Kat locks herself in Jacks office with a sketchpad and her doll sophie and a glass of grape juice. Jack talked to Devlin and convinced him to cancel the protective custody order as long as Kat stayed with him. Kat then shows everyone the secret code hidden in her dolls dress and that the Contessa is part of the Romanov Legacy and it is a large rare purple diamond that has been fitted into a tiara. Jack takes Kat to his place and then finds that she was hurt far worse than she let on. She was whipped by a belt and beaten very badly. Her sides ache and it hurts to breath. Jack fixes her as best he can but tells her that she will have x-rays the next day. He asks her if they raped her and she says no. She goes to sleep and Jack wakes her the next morning. They have to go to the JTF, progress has been made on The Contessa.  
  
Chapter Thirty Three  
  
Jack takes Kat to the JTF and she's worried about the reaction she'll get because half the staff went to her funeral. She sees Weiss and tries to talk to him but he doesn't hear her. Sydney takes her to Marshall's office so that she can meet Marshall and Carrie's baby. She was born the day of Kat's funeral and they named her Kate after Kathryn. Carrie asks her if she'll be the baby's godmother Sydney Vaughn and Weiss already agreed but she politely refuses unsure of how long she'll be around. Kat goes to talk to Dixon and Weiss bursts in. No one knows what they found out about the Contessa but Weiss overheard some agents brought in from Langley talking and they mentioned that The Contessa was connected to Rambaldi. In The briefing, Dixon introduces Kat as Kat Bristow. Kat is confused Weiss has been avoiding her and wont even look at her during the briefing. Dixon briefly explains Kats kidnapping and who was responsible and that she did know what the Contessa was. An analyst from Langley explains that they traced the Contessa back to the Romanovs. The Romanovs had it and it was cut into a diamond tiara. Before the Romanovs had it, it belonged to rambaldi. Analysis of Kats doll Sophie, reveals that the material of the dress containing the code was manufactured during Rambaldi;s lifespan and that coding is his. They only found one mention of The Contessa in Rambaldi's works. He referred to the diamond as "the Key" This triggers Carrie's memory who remembers that in Rambaldi's manuscript he made reference to the fact that the key would be explained in scroll 47 which they had assumed meant Page 47, the prophecy page. Now they realize that there is a scroll 47 out there. Kat sees Devlin and confronts him telling him that if he tries to lock her up again, she'll run and they won't ever be able to find her. Devlin confronts Jack with the knowledge that he knows Irina contacted him about Kathryn and wants to know if she had any part in Kats abduction (which she didn't). Jack meets Kat in his office and Kat asks if he is angry because Dixon called her Kat Bristow, she wasn't sure what she wanted to be called because she doesn't know who she is anymore. Jack tells her to get her coat; he wants to take her somewhere.  
  
Chapter Thirty Four Jack and Kat are about to leave when Kat sees Weiss. She tries to talk to him but he blows her off. Jack surprises Kat by taking her to the cemetery in order to show her that her life as Kathryn Sullivan is over. She can be anyone else but she can't continue to be Kathryn as The Covenant thinks she's dead and it's best if it stayed that way. Kat finds a bouquet of blue roses at the gravestone and they suspect that they are from Irina. Jack tells her that he understands how it feels to be betrayed and deceived by Irina and that she doesn't have to accept him in her life as her father but she does have to accept the fact that he is her father. Instead of taking her back to the JTF, Jack takes her to the carousel where he and Laura/Irina used to bring Sydney as a child. She asks him what he wants from her, as his name on her birth certificate doesn't make him a father. He asks for a chance to earn her trust again, not as Sydney's father but as her own. Jack tells her about why Irina changed her identity and left her in NYC, how Alexander Khasinau had tested a more advanced version of project christmas on her. He told her that Irina was the one responsible for her rescue and Kat told him that a Mr. Sark who was uninvolved in her kidnapping had been with Melnikov for a short while. Kat tells him that he reminds her of Mr. Caldwell and that she doesn't hate him, but she was jealous of Sydney and his relationship because she'd never really had a father growing up. They start to leave but Jack stops her and asked why she lied to him the night before when he asked if she'd been raped while in Melnikov's custody.  
  
Chapter Thirty Five  
  
Kat tries to deny that anything happened but Jack won't believe her. She finally tells him that Melnikov was drunk and tried to but Petrov Khasinau pulled him off her. She tells him that she gave up and couldn't fight him. She was ashamed that she was going to let it happen. Everyone thought she was dead, no one would be coming to rescue her, so she stopped fighting. She's crying and calls him Daddy and apologizes for giving up on him. Jack realizes that she's slowly beginning to break down the protection walls she'd built up around herself. Jack asks her what she told Petrov Khasinau about The Contessa. She told Jack that there is a lot that she doesn't remember. She has no recollection of Khasinau taking her up on the roof of the building, all the sudden she was just there and he was holding her out over the edge, demanding to know about The Contessa. He told her if she didn't tell him, he would have Sydney, Will and Vaughn killed right then and there. Not knowing it was a bluff, she lied and told Khasinau that The Contessa was a book. Kat asks Jack if she can see Arvin but he refuses at first but then relents and says that he'll see what he can do. She tells Jack that she remembers being Katarina and wants to be her again, Katarina Bristow. As they get ready to leave Jack gets a call from Sydney asking if he's seen Weiss because no one can find him. Kat asks Jack to take her somewhere before they go back to the JTF.  
  
Chapter Thirty Six Jack takes Kat to the cliffs and leaves her there with Weiss. She asks Weiss what's going on, why he's giving her the brush off. Weiss tries to deny it and eventually explodes. He's ashamed because he really believed she was dead. She tells him that she understands how he's feeling and that he's her best friend. He never judges her or has expectations. They hug and Weiss realizes that the feeling is mutual, she's his best friend too. He finds the bandage on her back from the whippings. They sit on the bench for a while longer and joke about finding Weiss a girlfriend. In Italy Sark is thinking about Kat. She impressed him with her ability to stand up to Melnikov. She reminded him of the Sydney, he had known before her double agent status had begun to take effect and before the murder of her best friend Francie Calfo. He decides that soon he will contact a Covenant mole within the CIA, but not just yet.  
  
Chapter Thirty Seven  
  
Back at the JTF Vaughn finds a lead. Before his death Alexander Khasinau rented a safety deposit box at a bank in Cairo. It supposedly contains documents and there is a good chance it contains Scroll 47. Kat and Weiss come back and Jack orders Kat to go to Medical Services. He talks to Weiss asking if there is something going on between Weiss and Kat. Weiss protests the insinuations that their relationship is unethical. Jack asks what Weiss does to calm Kat down when she's having a nightmare. After much prodding Weiss finally gives in and tells Jack that he sings to her. Jack gets called to Medical Services where Kat is giving the doctors a hard time about taking her blood. Later at Jack's apartment Kat gets a package of old photographs from Irina and angrily trashes Jack's kitchen. After cleaning up Jack goes to check on Kat and finds that she broke into a locked drawer in his desk and was looking at an old photograph of him and Laura. Kat asks if he's still in love with her.  
  
Chapter Thirty Eight  
  
Kat accuses Jack of still being in love with Irina and of having forgiven her. Jack denies it and Kat tells him that she remembers seeing the photo before. When she was three, before her Papa supposedly died she found the picture in her mothers room. Irina told her never to tell anyone about it that it was a special man whom she would meet someday. Papa (Petrov Khasinau) wasn't around much and Kat used to sneak into Irina's room look at the picture and pretend the man in the photo was her father. Kat baits him for answers but Jack won't give in and tells her to stay out of his personal life. Kat tells Jack that Marshall and Carrie asked her to be their baby's godmother but she refused because she may not be around much longer. Jack tells her that she needs to continue to make plans for her future and asks if her hesitation has to do with Joshua. It does and Jack tells her not to dwell on him so much, he's safe and happy and someday she will have other children. Kat argues that she won't be able to have other children and Jack knows this. She is unable to have any more children due to the damage she suffered as a child. Jack tells her not to give up hope and says goodnight. Sydney and Vaughn are in Cairo attempting to recover Scroll 47. They break into the banks safety deposit boxes and find Alexander Khasinau's box, #47. Jack wakes Kat up from a terrifying nightmare, in which she killed Jack and Sydney. Unable to get her to calm down he eventually resorts to singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Sydney and Vaughn open the safety deposit box. Scroll 47 isn't there, only a bunch of coded papers.  
  
Chapter Thirty Nine Kat has a meeting with Barnett the next day but she refuses to talk to her. Barnett can't figure out what changed in the span of one day. Kat's very angry and won't say a word. Carrie shows up to take Kat to lunch and asks her again to be Baby Kate's Godmother and Kat accepts. A week later nothing has changed. Kat still refuses to talk to Barnett; she's angry and tempermental. Sydney asks her to examine the codes she and Vaughn found in Cairo to see if she can decipher them. Jack finds some disturbing drawings Kat made of knives dripping with blood. Another imaged he guessed to be Sydney and himself tied up with blood all over them and a woman holding a bloodied knife. He makes an appointment to see Dr. Barnett the next morning. Later that night Jack wakes up to find Kat missing from her bed. Weiss is woken by someone ringing his doorbell and he is surprised to find Kat there upset, barefoot and freezing. He calls Jack and finds out that Kat snuck out. Weiss tries to find out what happened to Kat but she's not forthcoming. He finally gets it out of her that she's tired of all her nightmares. Everyone else thinks they've stopped but they haven't. Kat hasn't slept through the night since she was six years old. Weiss tells her that they'll figure it out and they'll get the nightmares to stop. Kat decides she made the right decision by leaving Jacks. She can't stay so close to him or Sydney right now. Weiss asks why she came to him and she says that she tried to think of the one place she felt the safest, and that was where he was.  
  
Chapter Forty  
  
Jack goes to Weiss' apartment the next morning. Kat still hasn't told Weiss why she took off. Weiss tells Jack that Kat's nightmares have never stopped. Jack tries to talk to Kat but she ignores him and he tells her that he won' play her games. He tells her not to ever leave without telling him again. Jack leaves and Kat explodes at Weiss for telling him her secret. Weiss blows up at Kat and telling her to stop trying to do everything herself and let people help her. Everyone is worried about her, one minute she and Jack are getting along better and the next she can't stand the sight of either him or Sydney.  
  
Chapter Forty One Jack and Sydney meet with Barnett regarding Kat's drawings. They decide that her recent change in behavior is due to the dream that she had where she killed Sydney and Jack. Barnett explains that over the years Kat has developed coping mechanisms to deal with her nightmares such as forcing herself to wake up before she screamed. She also explains that although Kat is very much grown up in years and experience, she is also very much still a child as she's never learned how to trust people and because she had to grow up so fast, she skipped many stages of emotional development. Kat shows up for her appointment with Barnett and is angry with Jack for going through her belongings and finding the drawings. She confesses that she was so distant from Jack and Sydney because she was afraid that she might hurt them. She's afraid that she'll loose them. Jack asks her to trust him again and she decides to give it another shot. Jack takes her home and she goes to sleep. When she wakes he is packing to go on a trip. She reveals to him that the coded documents Syd and Vaughn found in Cairo were written by her. She knows this because of a notation on each page, four symbols which stand stands for Katy but she still doesn't know what the documents say. She asks Jack to hide all the sharp knives because they make her nervous and Jack tells her that in the morning before he leaves, he's going to take her to see Sloane.  
  
Chapter Forty Two Vaughn asks Weiss if there is anything going on between him and Kat and Weiss denies it. Vaughn explains to him about Kat's dream of killing Jack and Sydney and that's why she was such a pain in the ass. She was trying to scare them off. Kat decodes the pages Syd and Vaughn found in Cairo. The documents reveal an address in St. Petersburg, Russia, a key code to a vault and the words to the Jack and Jill nursery Rhyme. Syd, Vaughn and Weiss check with their contacts and begin to spec out a mission with hopes that the address and code would lead to Scroll 47. Syd and Kat make plans for a girls night in that night.  
  
Chapter Forty Three  
  
Kat and Syd have a girls night in. They discuss first kisses and a certain Agent Aidan MacGreggor. Kat and Syd discuss love and how Syd knew she was in love with Danny and how Kat is afraid she might miss out because she's afraid to trust guys. Kat tells Syd that despite all the craziness she is happy. She also tells Syd about her meeting with Sloane. Sloane didn't give Kat any information, rather he taunted her, twisting her words making her angry until she let it slip that Jack was really her father. Jack shows up having come back early from his business trip and has a present for Kat. It was a little kitten. He also brought Sydney poetry books and Kat her two favorite books Anna Karenina and Les Miserables. Kat asks him to stay and watch the movie with her and Sydney. Jack and Sydney go into the kitchen and Syd tells him about Kat solving the code. Jack is angered to find that Kat ignored her food intake and ended up to be hyperglycemic as a result of too much sugar. Vaughn calls and Syd goes to answer the phone. Kat names her kitten Oliver. Kat and Jack talk for a while and she asks Jack if she can call him Dad, which he of course says yes. Syd returns to the living room to find Kat asleep, her head in Jack's lap. She tells Jack all the intel was verified and in the morning she, Vaughn, Weiss, Will and Kat were going to St. Petersburg.  
  
Chapter Forty Four Jack is at the communications center back in LA anxiously awaiting contact from the team in St Petersburg. Communications had been cut off twenty minutes before and they hadn't heard anything since. Vaughn finally contacts them and tells him that they were all shot with Tranq guns and Kat is nowhere to be found. Forty Minutes Earlier  
  
The team infiltrates the house in St. Petersburg. Will and Kat stick together and Kat is surprised to find a vase of fresh cut daisies. Will turns around and Kat is gone and they can't contact her. Marshall realizes that she's purposely turned her com link off. Will tracks her movements and goes up to the third floor. As he opens the door he sees her standing in front of him holding a silver .48 gun. Kat cocks the gun and warns Will not to come any closer.  
  
Chapter Forty Five  
  
The rest of the team go to the third floor and enter the room stunned to find Kat pointing a gun at her mother. They tell her to put the gun down but she won't. Syd turns Kat's com link on hoping Jack can get her to put the gun down. He can't and Kat turns the com link off. Irina challenges Kat and she is beginning to loose control and is about to pull the trigger.  
  
Chapter Forty Six Irina got the gun away from Kat and shot the others with tranq darts. She grabs Kat and takes her into another room handcuffing her to a chair. Irina and Kat have a confrontation. Kat tells Irina a few bad stories of her growing up and accidentally tells Irina that she got pregnant. Irina warns Kat to stop looking for the scroll. Irina clarifies some of Kat's memories and tells Kat that just before she took Kat and left Russia, she came home early and found Kat. There was something wrong with her she appeared to be almost sleepwalking and there was blood all over her hands. Kat realizes that Irina must know something about scroll 47. Irina tells Kat that she loves her, and then leaves.  
  
Chapter Forty Seven  
  
Vaughn, Syd, Weiss and Will wake up and go in search of Kat. They find her. They go back to search for the scroll but Kat tells Sydney that it was never there. Irina got there first but the scroll was not in the safe. Kat goes into a room that she remembers as being her bedroom when she lived there. She takes a painting off the wall and realizes that it's a scene from Jack and Jill. Will takes the painting apart and they find Scroll 47 hidden in the back.  
  
Back in LA, Jack takes Kat to the gym laces up boxing gloves ordering her to hit the bag as an outlet for her anger. Kat gets harsher and stronger and eventually begins to loose control and Jack pulls her away before she hurts herself. They are called back to the office after analysis has decoded Scroll 47. Scroll 47 is a prophecy. It's The Countess Prophecy by Rambaldi. Rambaldi prophesized that a girl to be called The Countess is the only one who can stop The Chosen One. She will be forced to make difficult decisions and use The Countess to choose between the path of good and the path of evil. Either path will bring with it a great sacrifice. Kat bursts out laughing unable to believe the ludicrous situation.  
  
Chapter Forty Eight  
  
Kat sneeks away from the briefing room. Lindsey finds her and calls her into his office. When she comes out she goes to talk to Jack and tells him that she made a deal with Lindsey and with the CIA. She had to choose between protective custody and recruitment and she chose recruitment. Kat tells Jack that she loves him and says good bye. 


	51. Chapter Forty Nine

A/N Hey everyone, I know its been like a month since the last chapter was posted, I'm sorry, I've just been unavoidably detained and I found this chapter rather difficult to write and it took a long time. I just posted chapter summaries for Chapters 30 to 48 to refresh your memories as to what recently happened in the fic. 

Please give feedback, I'd like to know if people are still reading after the long break.

Hope you enjoy  
Erin

Redemption  
Chapter Forty Nine

Robert Lindsey never stood a chance.

The moment Lindsey had become the instrumental force in recruiting his daughter into the CIA, Jack Bristow had resigned to make his life a living hell. 

Kat hadn't been gone for more than a few minutes when Jack entered Lindsey's office unannounced. He grabbed the phone Lindsey was holding and slammed it down in the cradle. 

"Just what did you think you were doing recruiting MY daughter into the CIA?" Jack held onto the edge of Lindsey's desk and leaned forwards. He braced his weight on his forearms, and resisted the urge to grab Lindsey by the tie and slam him up against the wall. "Painting a target on her back is not going to help recover The Contessa."

"Agent Bristow, need I remind you that this is my office and the next time you decide to come barging in, knock first." Lindsey glared at him folding his hands in his lap. "That said, for the record, recruiting Kat was not my doing. Yes I did make the arrangements and brokered the deal with her, but, the order came from elsewhere."

Both men looked to the door as it opened and Ben Devlin stepped in.

"You." Jack realized straightening. "You did this. You knew she would take the deal and choose recruitment. She told you she would run if you took her into custody and you used that knowledge to get her into the CIA."

"This was for her own good Jack." Ben crossed his arms over his chest as he defended his actions. "I'm not going to continue to risk the lives of my agents to protect her, while she herself is a valuable asset to this agency; the operation in Spain proved that. All she needs is a little training."

"She's a child. She's under eighteen and you did not have my perm-"

"I didn't need your permission Jack. She was emancipated."

"No," Jack corrected. "Kathryn Sullivan was emancipated, Katarina Bristow was not."

"When you brought her back from Moscow, her guardianship was transferred to this agency," Devlin explained. "I have full legal power of attorney. All decisions regarding her future are made by this agency and signed off by me, until she reaches 18 years of age."

Jack stood stunned momentarily, reeling from Devlin's admission. His friend had gone behind his back and manipulated his daughter into joining the CIA. That was twice now he'd been betrayed by a friend that he was supposed to trust. First Arvin Sloane had recruited Sydney into SD-6 without his knowledge, and now Ben had recruited Kat into the CIA.

"Don't underestimate her intelligence Jack," Devlin stopped in the doorway as he was leaving. "Kat knew exactly what she was doing when she made her decision. She could have gone to you before signing the paperwork. She knew you would attempt an alternative arrangement, but she didn't. She wanted this."

"She doesn't know what she wants."

"And what makes you think that you do?"

Devlin's question went unanswered and Jack resisted his urge to slam Lindsey's head into his desk and wipe that twisted half smile off his face. He went to his own office without another word to either man and sat at his desk analyzing the situation.

If Kat had been allowed to go to Jack before signing the deal with the CIA why hadn't she. Devlin was right. If she'd had the opportunity to go to him before signing the deal and not taken it then she wanted in. He was certain she would have known that he would have attempted alternative arrangements unless---

He shook his head marveling at the sheer simplicity of it. Devlin and Lindsey had played right into her hands by arranging the deal.

Revenge.

Kat had used their own deal against them. She wanted into the CIA. Not because she was afraid, or because she'd been forced into it or even because she wanted to find the Contessa. She didn't give a damn about the diamond or The Rambaldi prophecy.

She wanted revenge against her mother.

Joining the CIA, creating an imbalance in the familial relationship was exactly the one thing to spark Irina's fury more so than Kat already had. She would no longer be considered the innocent one. Three tough CIA Bristows against one lethal Derevko. Kat knew exactly how to push Irina's buttons and she was planning on pushing her to the max. She was intent on bringing her mother down, no matter what the costs. 

Jack had a great strategical mind. He considered Irina to be his equal. It really was no surprise that their daughter had gone this route. 

He had no one to blame but himself. He hadn't given thought to his status of legal guardianship over his daughter. She was under eighteen and it was his name on her birth certificate. He'd been too naïve, too preoccupied with Kat's nightmares and the search for scroll 47. He hadn't anticipated Devlin's deception or her own. 

Jack flipped through his rolodex and pulled the card of one of his contacts within the farm. There was no chance that he would be a blind observer to her training. She was going to have weaknesses and each and every single one had to be accounted for. It was especially prudent to Kat who was already facing many physical disadvantages and one mistake or weakness could be the choice between life and death.

Jack dropped his keys on the kitchen counter with the mail and take-out and set his briefcase on the floor. He eyed the food disapprovingly. It was the fourth night in a row he'd stopped and picked up Chinese for dinner. 

Kat had been gone for two weeks now. At least when she had been there, he'd been forced to cook as she required special dietary considerations. Her absence had left the apartment quiet, with a build up of take-out containers and an empty fridge. He'd gotten used to her presence, even found himself enjoying the slight disarray of the apartment. Cereal bowls left on the kitchen table, the television constantly on some channel she called music, and the remote hidden in the couch cushions, with at least one magazine open on the glass coffee table. 

Jack poured himself a scotch and sat down on the kitchen stool to eat his dinner. He downed the first glass and then immediately poured another. The food tasted bland and he pushed it away no longer hungry. He reached for the stack of mail, rifled through it quickly and stopped on a letter addressed to Jack D. Bristow. He recognized the handwriting and turned it over but there was no return address. He used his knife to slit open the envelope and pulled out several handwritten sheets of paper. 

It was a letter from his daughter.

The first line brought a slight smile to his lips. She'd begun the letter with, 'Dear Jack' but then crossed out Jack and written Dad, which was also crossed out followed by a crossed out Father, Pops, Papa, J and JB as she struggled to address the letter in a manner they would both be comfortable with. Finally she'd begun:

__

Dear Daddy,

I know you're surprised to be getting this. Letters home are strictly on the forbidden list but lets just say I made someone an offer they couldn't refuse and they snuck it out for me.

I know you and Sydney angry but, this was my choice. By now I know you've realized that my motives for accepting Lindsey's deal were not exactly as forced as I led you to believe. I am sorry I lied to you. I was forced in a sense that I did have to make a choice, but I know you're wondering why I made that choice so quickly. I can't exactly explain why I did what I did, why I didn't search out another alternative, but please just accept the fact that this was my decision to make. 

That said there are things that you need to know, things that I could never tell you in person.

I won't lie to you by telling you that joining the CIA had nothing to do with my mother; even Marshall could see through that in an instant. On a sidenote, please be nicer to Marshall and not roll your eyes every time he tries to tell you about Baby Kate, he's just an excited new father, as I'm sure you were when Sydney was born. (Besides, my Goddaughter is adorable!) 

Anyway.

What I'm saying is yes, Irina is part of the reason I am joining, but not the sole reason. I do want her brought to justice. I want her to pay for all the harm she caused you and Sydney, Weiss, and Vaughn. I want her to pay for the harm she caused everyone, including myself. But I also joined for me. I want to repay the harm I've caused. People died because of me. Good people like Agent Clark, that girl Papa pretended was me, the other agents from the safehouse, and I can't, no, I won't allow it to happen again. I won't sacrifice the lives of others solely for my own. 

You once asked me what I was afraid of. I couldn't answer you, not truthfully. I don't even remember what I said, but I can tell you now that one of the things I fear is taking a parent away from their child. That is the main reason why I cannot continue under CIA protection. I know how it feels to lose a parent. To be told that your mom or dad won't ever be coming back is devastating to anyone, particularly to a little boy or girl. I cannot be responsible for any more children loosing their parents. 

After the shooting, when I was five, I woke up in the hospital and I was alone. I had no one in this world. I remember it took at least a day before the doctors or nurses even realized that I was awake. I couldn't talk, I couldn't move, there were machines breathing for me, tubes every where, I was so scared and all I wanted was my mother. I tried to tell them that they were wrong, that my mother would be coming for me. The doctors and the police told me that she was dead. A robbery gone wrong. I began to believe what they said. She hadn't come for me so she must have been gone. I thought my memories of the shooting were false and I lied. I told the police that I saw the men shoot my mother. My mother had been teaching me how to lie and deceive since I was born. I was so good at it that I fooled myself. I made myself believe so strongly that she really was gone, and in doing so I lost who I was. I forgot Katarina and I fully became Kathryn. I chose to bury my identity, my memories, my life, and everything I knew in a place deep in my mind that I didn't want to find. Remembering Katarina meant remembering her and how she left me. 

I know the CIA isn't what you wanted for me. You said that I could be anything that I wanted to be and I know that. Well almost anything anyway, I could never be a chef, I'd probably poison the customers or something. I know you were secretly hoping I might choose medicine, (I have seen the increase in medical books in the apartment-so don't pretend you weren't thinking of it) but I'm sorry to disappoint you, I don't think I'd make a good doctor. You know I don't like needles—I'd probably end up killing some poor guy, and Dr. Barnett says I have too much aggression for a career working with people, although she did say I'd make an excellent psychiatrist. Sort of ironic isn't it? 

Sydney's mentioned law on more than one occasion. This world is so complicated and corrupt. I've seen the legal system at work. I've seen criminals get off scott free. I've seen people placed in harms way because the system failed and children, innocent children, live in hell because adults don't or won't see what's really going on. I'd like to change that. Idealistically I want to change the world but realistically I know that's not going to happen. I'm just one person and as much as I may want to believe otherwise, one person can't change the world. I can't be a part of it. I can't be a part of a public system that lets some get away and punishes the innocents every once in a while even if they get the bad guys more often. 

I don't really know what I want to be. I do know that if I get through this, if I'm alive still in five years, I don't want to be an agent forever. Not that being an agent for life is a bad thing, I just don't think that it's something I want. Sydney's going to be an English Professor and she'll be a great teacher and I'll—I'll be something.

I have all these options now that I didn't think I'd ever have. Who'd have ever thought that a screwed up foster kid from the Big Apple would even have a chance in this world to be anything other than a screw up.

You gave me that chance. I deceived you, I lied to you, and I did everything I could to hate you. You stood for everything that Irina took away from me. Even when we found out that you were my father, I was horrible to you, but you were still so good to me. You gave me a place to live, money, food, clothes, protection, and so much more. You pushed and pushed and pushed and you wouldn't take no for an answer. My memories of Moscow, when you came for me, they're a little hazy at best, but the thing that I remember the most is being safe. Despite the guns, the constant spray of bullets, I'd never felt more safe in my entire life than I did at that moment when you were carrying me to safety. You were the strongest man in the world, and the bravest—you gave me your vest and risked certain death to protect me, someone you hardly knew. Despite everything that I put you through, even when we didn't know I was your daughter, you chose to protect me when rightfully you should have hated me—I still really don't understand why.

You gave me a chance; you gave me everything I never had. Everything I'd only ever dreamed about, but thought was just too far out of my reach. When all of this started, when people started to try to kill me or kidnap me or even just find me—I gave up. I gave up on life and any semblance of a future. I've never really been a dreamer. I've never had anything to dream for. I guess you could say I'm more of a realist. I know neither of us was exactly thrilled at the prospect of living together but I think it was a good thing. I had stopped making plans for my future. I began to live each day as if I wouldn't have tomorrow until you showed me that it was okay to be afraid, that it was okay to make plans and that I did have a future. Pretending as if I didn't have a future-it wasn't living. 

This is getting a little off track now isn't it. I know you're probably debating on whether or not to actually finish reading this letter but please do; there are things that I need to say that could never be said anywhere but in a letter.

You've always accepted me, maybe not willingly at first but you have. That means a lot to me. Especially because of the things that I did and the things that I said-- you had every right not to accept me, but you did anyway. I've never been a person who was easily accepted by others, it really does mean a lot to me. 

You've accepted who I am now, but there are things that you don't know about who I was in the past. Things that I could never tell you or anyone else. Things that I've done that I'm ashamed of. Things that the very thought of them makes me sick, makes me want to scream and scream and scream and never stop. It's hard for me to even tell you that much, but I feel like I'm lying to you if I don't. And I don't want to lie to you anymore dad. Please don't ask me about it, there are things that I just can't tell you. If you asked, I'd have to lie and I don't want to do that. 

I guess I want to thank you for everything. I'm looking at this as a new start for me. A whole new life with my sister and my dad.

The last thing is I don't want you to blame yourself for my recruitment. Remember, this was my choice. There was nothing you could do to stop it. I chose this. I told you that I knew I couldn't save the world and that's true, but maybe this my way to make a difference and to protect myself, maybe its just what I was born to do. My entire life people have been making decisions for me, they've never given me a choice. They've all been teaching me how to be a spy. Alexander, Papa, Arvin, and even mom with the lies, the codes and the identities. I know I'm supposed to be good at it and I am. I've only been in training few days but I know I made the right decision. They cultured me, but in the end, this time, the final decision is mine. 

You're a spy, Irina is, Sydney is—It's in my blood. I was born into a family of spies. 

I don't know what your beliefs are, if you believe in God or not. I don't. I think that if there was a God, he couldn't allow so many good and innocent people to die. I'm not sure if you believe in fate or destiny, somehow I think your rational mind would state otherwise, but maybe despite what I believe, that's what this is. Maybe it's fate or destiny or maybe it was just inevitable that things would end up this way.

You were very clear on the fact that you did not want me to go to Spain. You didn't want me to have any part of that life, the life that you and Sydney lead. You were right-you had reason to fear it because I enjoyed it. The thrill, the adrenaline rush, the excitement—the fact that I could do what others couldn't, I loved every second of it. 

We never talked about what happened in St. Petersburg. In a way I'm relieved but I also feel terrible. I almost killed my mother; you tried to stop me and I wouldn't listen. I'm glad she was able to stop me. Don't fool yourself into thinking it was because I didn't want her dead, I do. If I had killed her, I would have regretted taking another persons life yes, but more so because it wouldn't have been done rationally. I was thinking with my heart and not my head. I thought I could handle her. I thought I could ignore her, deal with her. I thought I could block everything out, compartmentalize everything that wasn't supposed to be there, her words, the memories; but I was wrong. She got to me. The second she had control, I lost mine. I said things that I shouldn't have said. My hatred for her overcame any rational thought I had left. I've never lost control like that and it scares me. 

Irina made it perfectly clear during our confrontation that I was not to assist the CIA any further in their quest for Rambaldi's Contessa. I think she knew about the prophecy. I can honestly tell you that she seemed scared at the prospect of my continual involvement and I want to know why. I want to know what she's hiding. Why she is so insistent that I stay away from this Rambaldi craziness. I don't think I'll ever understand her, I know I can never forgive her for what she did. She kept me away from Sydney, away from you, away from my family. A family was the only thing I ever wanted in this world. It was the one thing I always dreamed of and when it happened, I felt just like Annie Warbucks in that old movie Little Orphan Annie. I know you haven't forgiven what Irina did to you, how she betrayed you and neither has Sydney, but you've been able to get past it; I can't, no matter how much you want me to, I can't move past how she betrayed me.

I do want to find the Contessa and prove to everyone that this Rambaldi stuff is a load of crap. I'm not The Countess, I'm just a girl, and I'm no one special. I don't have secret powers or anything like that. There's no way that some dead guy who lived over 500 years ago could have known anything about me. 

I want Irina to pay and if I play a part in taking her down then so be it.

I'm a very different person now than I was six months ago. I've learned a lot about myself, changed in ways I never imagined and felt things I never thought possible. I see things differently now; things about myself, things that I do, that I know aren't right. 

I know you've seen that I'm not like other people. I don't feel things like other people; I don't know how to do it, I just get by. I know when I'm supposed to laugh and when I'm supposed to cry, but I don't know how to get there; I just do it like I'm playing a part in a play and nothing is real. It's as if there's this locked door inside of me that I don't know how to open; I have the key but I can't seem to get it in the lock. I didn't even know that I was like this, that I was different, until Dr. Barnett showed me. 

I've seen first hand just how cold Irina can be and I don't want to be like her. Dad, I'm scared to be like her. She's angry and heartless and I don't want to be angry anymore. I want to open that door. I just don't know how to stop being angry. I want to stop this anger, except when it comes to Irina. If I stop being angry with her, if I stop hating her, then I'm afraid I might begin to forget what she did and the pain she caused. You and Irina are two very different people. I don't want to be like her, and I'm sorry please don't take offense but I don't want to be like you either. You distance yourself from everyone, enclose your emotions and your heart in a glass box with no way in and no way out unless you open the door. You're afraid to be hurt and I understand and can sympathize with that. I admire you in so many ways and it's not bad, it's just who you are. I'll never wear my heart on my sleeve like Will or Marshall, but I don't want to be cold and I don't want to be distant.

You, Sydney and Weiss have helped me. You helped me to get the key in the lock and now I understand that if I want to live, truly live in all sense of the word than I need to figure out how turn the key and unlock the door. I'm going to live Dad, someday I'm going to be free of my past.

I think that everyone has things that they hide. They have one face that they show the world and another they see in a mirror's reflection.

I forgot to ask you to feed my fish.

Jack groaned looking up from the letter and spotted the small tank in the living room. Her fish was belly up. 

A few weeks before she'd left, the two had stopped at the mall to drop some suits off at the dry cleaners and Katy had dragged him into the pet store. 

She wanted a puppy, he said no. They compromised on a goldfish.

__

If you forgot about him, that's okay but if it's still alive could you feed it for me pretty please? 

There's something that I wanted to give you but I didn't get a chance before I left. In the closet in your study is that black portfolio case that Will gave me. It's in there. You'll know it when you see it.

  
  
There's just one last thing. I can pretty much guarantee that if you're reading this at home you've got a glass of scotch in your hand and I wanted to ask you not to drink so much. It's not that I think you can't handle it-it just, it scares me. I don't like it when you drink so much. I know you're not an alcoholic, or even have a problem, but you use it as an escape, a cover, and sometimes that can be just as bad. It's easy to loose control. People change when they loose control because of alcohol. They say things, do things that they shouldn't. I just don't want anything to happen to you. 

Well if you're still reading--this is about it. I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me and just remember that this was my choice. Joining the CIA was my decision and I want to do this, I want to feel like I am making a difference even if I'm not.

Tell Sydney I miss her, and thank her for taking care of Oliver for me. Thank you for giving him to me.

See you in a month or two

Your Katy

Jack eyed the glass of scotch in his right hand. She was right. His drinking had increased in the last few weeks she'd been staying with him, and even more so since she'd been gone. Drinking himself to sleep at night had become a mere habit. He wanted to drink it, the amber liquid had become a good friend to him, but he could see her point. Sighing he stood, letter in hand and poured the contents of the glass down the sink. It was then that he noticed something out of place. 

A single glass sat on the counter beside the sink and the rim was laced with red lipstick. 

Trying not to make a sound Jack walked back to the counter and got his briefcase. He opened it and got his gun. He listened intently, but there was nothing but silence. Keeping to the right side of the hallway he edged along the wall. He cleared his bedroom and the bathroom and was about to enter Kat's room when he felt cool metal pressed against the base of his neck.

"Hello Jack."


	52. Chapter Fifty

Previously  
  
A/n Sorry it took so long guys! I hope you all like it and I'd love some feedback so let me know if you're reading!  
  
Redemption Chapter 50  
  
"Hello Jack."  
  
Jack felt the cool metal of the gun pressed against the base of his neck. "Brought your toys," he commented staying fully relaxed.  
  
"Drop it."  
  
Jack obeyed and tossed his gun behind him. Slowly he turned around. "Aren't you going to drop yours?"  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Don't play games with me Jack." Irina pressed the barrell of the gun against his chest. "Now where the hell is my daughter?"  
  
"Put your gun away Irina, you won't need it."  
  
Reluctantly Irina lowered her weapon, knowing that she wouldn't get any answers otherwise. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Jack stroll down the hallway into the kitchen, intent on now having that second glass of scotch.  
  
Jack poured himself another glass of scotch and silently promised Kat that he would stop drinking. Tomorrow.  
  
"Nice place," Irina commented. She took the glass bottle from him and took a long swig. "Security seems a little lax however."  
  
Jack ignored her knowing that she knew full well that the apartment's security system was top of the line and tweaked to his specifications by Marshall. He would have to have a chat with Marshall and determine how Irina was able to get past it.  
  
Jack grabbed his glass and walked into the living room. He stopped in front of the small fish tank and tapped the glass with his index finger. The fish made no movement and he tapped the glass again.  
  
"I don't think that is going to recessitate the creature." Irina bent to examine the tank and Jack glanced at her in annoyance.  
  
"Remember Mr. Bubbles?" she asked.  
  
"How could I forget," he sighed remembering the goldfish Sydney had received for her fifth birthday. Shortly after her birthday, Sydney and Laura had gone to Florida for a few weeks leaving Jack in charge of the house and Sydney's new goldfish Mr. Bubbles. Jack had been preoccupied with work and forgotten about the new addition to their family until Sydney called and asked how Mr. Bubbles was. Jack immediately went to check and found her pet floating at the bottom of bowl.  
  
"How long did you spend looking for an identical one?" Irina teased.  
  
Jack shot her a glare. "Nearly a week." All his searching for an identical replacement had been for nothing. When Sydney arrived home, she rushed to her room to see her new pet and then promptly burst into tears declaring that the fish in the bowl was not Mr. Bubbles. Jack had visited at least fifteen different pet stores in his search to find an identical goldfish. The fish he'd put in the bowl a week earlier was identical or so he'd thought. When Sydney had found the replacement, its belly was nearly double the size. Laura confirmed that Mr. Bubbles was really a very pregnant Mrs. Bubbles and Jack was forced to tell Sydney the truth.  
  
"Now Jack, Katy is quite a bit older than Sydney was, I don't think pulling a switch is going to work."  
  
"The thought never crossed my mind."  
  
Irina raised an eyebrow challenging his statement. She took a seat on the leather couch and tucked her legs under her. "Perhaps you can clear something up for me Jack."  
  
Jack took a seat across from her knowing exactly where she was headed. He quickly analyzed the situation deciding what information if any he would give.  
  
"Two weeks ago following our meeting in St. Petersburg, Katarina returned to the US in your custody. The next day she was tracked to LAX accompanied by an Agent Alexander Cole, where I assume she boarded a plane. That is where her trail ends. She hasn't been heard or seen from since and no flight manifestations have any record of her or any alias fitting her description. She isn't with Sydney and she certainly isn't here so tell me Jack, where is my daughter?"  
  
Jack finished his glass of scotch in one swallow and set it on the side table. "Our daughter," he corrected not even bothering to hide the disdain in his voice, "is fine."  
  
"Don't fuck with me Jack." Irina's voice was ice. "I'm in no mood for your games."  
  
"Isn't that what you do best? Play games?" In one swift motion he stood and pinned her to the couch. "Tell me Irina," his voice was hoarse as he whispered in her ear, his body leaning heavily over hers. "Did you know about The Countess Prophecy? Is that why you went to St. Petersburg? You wanted it, but you couldn't find it." His hands closed around her shoulders and then slipped closer to her neck. Her breathing shallowed as his fingertips pressed against her collarbone.  
  
"Did Khasinau know about the Prophecy? Did he tell you or did you tell him? Is that why he hid her from the KGB?  
  
"Jack stop." Irina closed her hands over his wrists in an attempt to push him away, but she couldn't. He was in a quiet rage and if she fought against him, his grip would only tighten. "Jack Stop," she repeated, beginning to feel light headed as her supply of fresh oxygen was diminishing.  
  
"Is that why he kept her from you?" Jack's face was close to hers as he hissed in her ear.  
  
She could see the tiny beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead and his breath was shrouded in alcohol. He wasn't intentionally trying to hurt her and she did the only thing she could think to get control without hurting him or causing herself injury.  
  
Tilting her head upwards, she kissed him hard. He was unresponsive at first as he froze his entire body rigid and then it relaxed. Her plan worked. Jack slipped his hands to the base of her neck and kissed her back. Neither were gentle. Both were equal participants of their assault on each other. Fingers tugged, teeth clashed and lips were bitten as they devoured each other. Jack popped the top two buttons of Irina's blouse in his eagerness to get to the skin beneath.  
  
Irina moaned into his mouth as his hands prodded and caressed her sensitive skin through the fabric of her bra. She nipped at his lower lip as he pressed her down on the couch. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she urged his head closer as he spread open her blouse and proceeded to place wet kisses along her neck and collarbone. She arched her back pressing herself into his mouth as he teased and taunted her nipples with his lips and tongue through the black lace.  
  
Jack wedged a knee between her legs to support himself. His mind was spinning. Her scent was intoxicating; he could lose himself in everything that she was. Her lips were red and swollen, bruised from his attack. He moved his hands to unhook her bra and Irina swiftly unbuckled his belt. Irina slipped her hands inside his pants and cupped his erection through his boxers. Jack groaned and bit into Irina's shoulder. Irina smiled and fondled him more. His reaction wasn't what she expected.  
  
Jack angrily pushed her away, swore and stood up. "I said no games Irina." He zipped up his pants and straightened his clothes mentally cursing himself for allowing her to divert his concentration. Jack glared at her and Irina sat up pulling her blouse closed.  
  
"I couldn't breathe Jack," Irina stood and buttoned her blouse. "What did you expect me to do?" Irina reached for the bottle of scotch and took another swig. "Enough screwing around, where is Katarina?"  
  
Jack looked her straight in the eye. He couldn't lie to her, not about this. "Virginia?"  
  
"Virginia? What the hell is in Virgin-"Irina stopped short as the realization hit her. "You sonh! How could you do this?"  
  
"Irina-"  
  
"You were supposed to keep her out of this life! Damn you Jack Bristow!" Her eyes were fire. Fire and ice.  
  
Jack turned away and faced the large bay window. "Do you think I wanted her to go?" he said quietly, rather reserved. "I did not, and do not want her involved with the CIA. Whether or not you believe me, it is the truth. She is every bit my daughter as she is yours and I only want what is best for her."  
  
"Why didn't you stop her?" Irina asked, her fury not having lessened even a bit. Her hands were fisted at her sides and it took every ounce of her control not to grab Jack's scotch glass from the coffee table and smash it into the wall in frustration. She'd spent the last twelve years doing everything she could to keep her daughter away from the life her parents led and the danger just being their daughter and Rambaldi's Countess brought. Her efforts had been for nothing. Katarina was in more danger than ever before and now she'd joined the CIA.  
  
"I found out too late," Jack turned back to face her. "I didn't know until after she had signed the papers. They offered her a deal, recruitment or protective custody. She wouldn't leave Sydney."  
  
"She's a minor, how could she-"  
  
"I screwed up Irina!" Jack nearly shouted at her, but he kept his voice low and in control. "I screwed up! She was my responsibility, but as much as either of us would want to believe that she was forced into this, that she was innocent to the events leading up to it—she wasn't. She wanted in. She wanted into this life." Jack retrieved Kat's letter from the kitchen counter and handed it to Irina. "Read it."  
  
Jack grabbed his glass of scotch and left the room.  
  
Irina waited until he'd left the room before she sat down on the sofa and turned to the first page.  
  
Kat's description of Irina was expected and not shocking but the realization of her daughter's feelings hit hard.  
  
Katy had made it very clear in St. Petersburg where the two stood, but seeing it there in black and white in her daughters own script made it all the more real.  
  
She'd seen Katarina only twice since the bloody scene in New York twelve years before. Each time, the hurt and betrayal in her daughter's eyes made her question every decision and choice she'd made. She had regrets. Some of her choices may not have been the best, but despite the outcome, she never regretted having her daughter. Leaving Jack and Sydney, had been devastating and she'd paid a very high price. She'd had to forget them, what they meant to her, in order to survive. Katarina had brought light back into her life. Her daughter had rekindled a part of Irina's heart and soul that she'd long thought dead. Her daughter had given her hope.  
  
Irina folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. She stood, took a few deep breaths and blinked away an unshed tear from her eye. She would not cry in front of him.  
  
Jack sat on the pullout sofa in Kat's room. He closed the portfolio he was examining when Irina entered the room. He wasn't about to start the conversation and so he watched as Irina wandered the room examining her daughters few belongings. Irina picked up a photograph off the bookcase and sat down next to Jack gripping the frame tightly in her fingers.  
  
"She looks happy," Irina whispered running the tips of her fingers over the image. It had been taken a few months before. Vaughn, Sydney, Weiss and Kat sat in skates in a heap in the middle of the ice rink after a game of hockey. Vaughn had his arms around Sydney and Sydney and Weiss had their arms around Kat.  
  
"Seems that way doesn't it," Jack said.  
  
"She's not." Irina stated casually. "I could tell that, from her letter."  
  
"It's difficult to tell," Jack was quiet and reserved as he took the photograph from her. He placed it back in its spot and then returned to Irina. "With Katy, it's difficult to decipher what is real and what is a facade. She's very skilled at deception, which given who we are, is of no surprise." A slight smile twinged on his lips and he remained very still as he spoke. "There are times, moments when you know for sure that she is happy. A smile, even a brief one, that lights up her face. Her eyes sparkle, her laugh-infectious; it's those moments, when you know that her smile is the truth, you can see it in her eyes and she is healing. The present is beginning to overcome the past that haunts her. Other times, she pretends and the differences are easily missed. There are few who know. Sydney, myself, Dr. Barnette-"  
  
"Agent Weiss," Irina finished.  
  
Jack nodded. "She doesn't fear his reaction, as she does Sydney's or mine. Often she's afraid to get too close; afraid she'll loose us. He's never had a reason to let her down. She trusts him implicitly. He sees the truth in her, the side that she won't show others."  
  
"He's very loyal to her," Irina remarked.  
  
"So I've seen," Jack smirked remembering the scene he'd witnessed when Weiss had pulled a gun on Irina on the plane to Moscow. "I don't think either of them can explain why. Their relationship concerned me. At first I thought there was something more between them, a romantic relationship perhaps, but I was wrong."  
  
Irina passed the letter back to Jack. "I wish things were different," she said softly. "You and Katy, have a chance. I gave up that chance twelve years ago."  
  
"Irina-"  
  
"She loves you Jack," Irina continued. "It may be difficult for her to show it, but you are her father, and she loves you. You're what she's yearned for her entire life. I only regret that you were apart for so long."  
  
"She's healing," Jack offered. "It's slow but, bit by bit, she is healing. She's opening up, learning to trust. Some day, she may be whole again."  
  
Irina looked down as Jack took her hand. "I do love her; I'm not trying to hurt her," she said truthfully. "In St. Petersburg, when she had that gun, I really did not think that she could do it, that she could pull the trigger." Her eyes glanced down at the letter. "Her words are the truth. Now I know different."  
  
"Irina, I don't think-"  
  
"You didn't see her eyes Jack. You didn't see the hatred in them. Unadulterated hatred. I am the reason she lost her innocence and I would do anything to give that back to her."  
  
Jack kept quiet for the moment. Her words were true. "Some day, she will understand."  
  
Irina shrugged and tapped the large leather case portfolio Jack was holding. "Can I see?"  
  
His eyes met hers and he nodded hesitantly. Jack opened the case and allowed Irina to see the top picture.  
  
Irina didn't say anything. Her hand trembled as she dared to touch the drawing. "It's beautiful," she whispered.  
  
Jack eyed her. Her eyes were clear, but he had no doubt she was fighting to keep them that way. When he opened the case, he didn't know what he would find, but his daughter was right. He knew which one it was the moment he set eyes on it.  
  
"I had no idea she was so talented," Irina bent her head to examine the drawing closer. "The strokes of the pencil and the shading are so intricate. The likeness is amazing." She and Jack both stared in silent amazement at the drawing. Both mesmerized by the beauty they saw. Kat had drawn a black and white pencil drawing of Sydney, Jack and herself, together as a family. It was only their faces, and they didn't have to be doing anything in order to understand the drawing. She lifted the drawing out of the portfolio and placed it behind her on the bed, eager to see the other drawings. Her daughter certainly did have talent, and it most definitely did not come from her side of the family.  
  
Irina opened Kat's sketchbook and turned to the first page. She was surprised to find a drawing of a young child. As she flipped the pages, her surprise turned to confusion and she flipped the pages more rapidly. The entire book was filled with various drawings both in pencil and color of a young boy.  
  
Jack quickly took the book from Irina and slipped it back into the leather case.  
  
"Jack, is that-"  
  
"Don't ask." Jack stood and placed the portfolio back in the closet.  
  
"But Jack-"  
  
"No."  
  
Irina was not about to be put off. She grabbed his arm, her nails searing into his flesh. "Sydney told me that Katarina had a baby when she was 13. She said the baby died."  
  
"Irina-"  
  
"In St. Petersburg, Katy called him Joshua. I find it difficult to believe that she would name a dead baby, and the drawings-"  
  
"Don't." Jack turned to face her and his eyes darkened in anger.  
  
"Don't what?" Irina stood and looked him in the eye. "The entire book is filled with drawings of the same child, a little boy. So don't what Jack? Don't ask if her child is alive or dead?"  
  
"Irina-"  
  
"Answer me!" 


	53. Chapter Fifty One Part 1

A/N A note for this chapter. The rating is R!!!!! it has some sexual content so if you're not comfortable reading it, just wait till Part 2.  
  
Hey guys sorry for the long wait! But here it is!!!! But as a bonus if you want to, you can see a fanart I made for the fic. It's posted on my website here but for some reason as I am posting this the site is down but hopefully you are able to view it when this update is posted on fanfic.net. If not, a functioning link will definitely be posted for Chapter Fifty One Part two, to come soon! I hope you like it and please give feedback, it's been dwindling lately and I'd love to hear some new thoughts. Erin  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Fifty One—Part One  
  
Jack's eyes never left hers but they were as cold as steel and she felt a shiver run through her spine. "Joshua was adopted at birth. Arvin Sloane made the arrangements and it is impossible to trace Katarina as his birth mother. Very few people know that he is indeed alive. As far as the CIA knows, he died at birth."  
  
Stunned, Irina sat back down on the bed reeling from the affirmation Jack had given her. She was silent; words would not come.  
  
"He's five," Jack resumed his seat beside Irina and took her hand. "His name is Joshua, he was adopted by a couple in Canada. Kat has seen one picture of him and that is all she will ever see, it's already been discussed and she understands that there are no negotiations. For his safety, she can never have any contact with him." Jack shifted his position to face her. "You can not tell anyone of his existence, do you understand?" Jack was harsh with his words.  
  
"Of course I understand Jack." She was annoyed that he would assume he needed to remind her of the danger if The Covenant or any of Irina or even Kat's enemies learned of the child's existence. She looked at him with wide eyes. "I'm a grandmother," she whispered.  
  
Jack hid a smile. "Makes you feel old, but Irina-"  
  
"We're grandparents."  
  
"No," Jack shook his head firmly. "Joshua has parents, and grandparents who love him. It is difficult for Katarina to accept, but he is not her son anymore."  
  
"He's still our family." Irina was adament. "He's her child, our blood."  
  
"He has a family; one that does not include us." Jack's expression softened slightly and he changed the subject knowing he would not be able to change her opinion. "You took a risk coming here."  
  
"I was worried. I am her mother. I had to know if she was alright." Irina stood and walked over to the bookcase where she once again picked up the framed photograph of Kat, Sydney, Weiss and Vaughn.  
  
"I'm relieved that she is safe for now, but the danger she's putting herself in-. With the new prophecy, that danger will increase ten-fold. We've just gotten her back, we can't loose her." Irina's voice wavered slightly as she spoke. "Jack, I knew there was a Rambaldi prophecy about her, but I did not know of the details. And yes it was Alexander Khasinau who told me of the prophecy and that there was a strong possibility that it involved our second daughter." She avoided his harsh gaze and chose to place her concentration on the photograph. "I've spent the last three years trying to find evidence in Rambaldi's other works that Katarina would be named as The Countess, but I couldn't find any solid proof either way. I had no idea that she actually knew where the scroll 47 was or that it would detail her prophecy. I believe she knows more, but what Alexander told her and what she remembers is as much a mystery to me as it is to you."  
  
Irina was close to tears as Jack moved to stand behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. Irina turned and looked at Jack. "We just got her back, we will not lose her. It is not an option," she said fiercely.  
  
"We won't." Jack took her in his arms and held her close. "Katarina is a Bristow. And a Derevko," he added. "Look at how far she has come already." He remained optimistic knowing the person their daughter was now, far better than Irina. "She's a fighter. Her instinct, will and desire to survive is strong. She's taking back her life." He wrapped strong arms around Irina and buried his face in her hair, inhaling the sweet spice of her shampoo. Even after all these years, the scent was the same. He could feel her shoulders shake slightly as she regained her composure and held him tightly, her fingers gravitating to the base of his skull where she played with a wayward curl.  
  
"You are her mother Irina," Jack's voice was deep and throaty in her ear. "She loves you, whether she'll admit it or not. She remembers the relationship you had when she was young. Some day she will understand that what you did was for her protection and she'll forgive, not just our sins, but her own as well."  
  
Irina nodded slightly leaning into his embrace. She froze as his lips brushed against her ear, and then lower. The weight of his body against hers paralyzed her momentarily until his lips placed wet kisses along her neck and then began to suck that spot just below her left ear that he knew would drive her insane.  
  
"Jack, we need to talk," Irina's voice was raspy as she tried to maintain her concentration.  
  
"Later," he groaned moving his lips down her neck, quite intent on devouring every inch of her.  
  
"It's important," she moaned instinctively angling her neck to give him greater access. "There's something I need to tell you."  
  
Jack seized her lips with his own stealing the important words from her breath. She tasted like honey. Honey and scotch. Irina kissed him back with as much force and looped her arms around his neck, holding him close. She slanted her lips over his deepening the kiss and traced his lips with her tongue before plunging inside his mouth. "You need to know--what are you doing?" she murmured pulling away from him to catch her breath.  
  
"Finishing what you started earlier." He pulled her in for another searing kiss and hauled her body close, molding it to his.  
  
"We need to talk," she insisted, her nails scraped his back  
  
"It can wait." His answer was final.  
  
"Not here," Irina groaned in pleasure pressing her body to his. Everything in her was on fire, aching for more of his touch. She felt his hardness against her and instinctively rubbed her pelvis against his.  
  
"Hold on." Jack kissed her hard and his lips never left hers as he guided her across the hall to his own room. His hands roamed her body and settled on her breasts cupping them through the fabric of her blouse.  
  
"Take it off," she pleaded tugging on the buttons of his shirt.  
  
Jack obeyed her command and freed her from the flimsy fabric. His large fingers fumbled with the tiny buttons until frustrated he pulled it apart sending buttons flying in all directions. His shirt soon joined hers in a heap on the floor. He fell to his knees and began placing light butterfly kisses along her stomach as he removed the rest of her clothing. She was beautiful. The years had been kind to her. She looked just as she did more than twenty years before. He pulled away slightly to examine a scar on her stomach that he hadn't seen before. Over the past twenty years, she'd acquired many scars he'd never seen. This one however, looked quite recent. The tissue was still raised and slightly pink but the healing process had clearly begun several months before. It was probably a knife wound but the cut was clean.  
  
"Jack, I need you," Irina's voice was little more than a growl.  
  
He kissed her scar once more and laved it with his tongue, molding his hands to curve of her backside.  
  
"Now!" she said urgently and pulled him to his feet. Her hands made quick work of the rest of his clothes and clumsily they made their way to his bed.  
  
Jack kissed her once more before he pushed her back on to the bed and covered her body with his own. He straddled her waist and his mouth found its way back to her breasts, sucking, biting and teasing her nipples relentlessly.  
  
There was an urgency in both of them. A need that grew with each passing moment and a desire neither would admit to, nor deny. Every touch was fire coursing through Irina's body. It hit every nerve ending in existence and spread a searing heat, so hot it seemed to burn through her skin. Her hands fisted into his hair tugging and pulling as she guided him closer to her. She gazed at him through half lidded eyes. She knew it was wrong to take advantage of the situation, but god help her if for once she wasn't thinking with her head, only with the need and desire his presence brought. It had been too long since they were together. They would talk, but later. The interruption was welcomed and perhaps for Irina—needed. It wasn't his reaction she feared, but the hidden betrayal he would not show.  
  
"Irina?" Jack's voice brought her thoughts back to him.  
  
She said nothing, but smiled and before Jack knew it, she'd flipped him onto his back and took control. Her lips placed wet kisses along his neck and chest. Sucking his pulse point until she'd left her mark, Irina then moved on to his nipples, circling them with her tongue and then rolling the firm nubs between her teeth.  
  
Jack let out a groan of pleasure and tightened his hold on her hair guiding her face up to his. He seized her lips and lifted her hips onto him. Jack caught her gasp with his lips and the two found a familiar rhythm. He couldn't break his gaze from Irina; her eyes were closed and her head thrown back in careless abandon; she was exotic.  
  
There were no words between the two. No words were necessary; none were suitable. There were no declarations of love or forgiveness as they united. They were simply fulfilling a need both had, and that's all they would admit to.  
  
Betrayal was a common thread for the two.  
  
Secrets kept them apart.  
  
Lies prevented forgiveness.  
  
Deception fueled the fire.  
  
Fear kept the façade in motion  
  
And two souls remained forever broken.  
  
Katarina clutched the ruger between both hands. She raised the gun to the target. Her hands were steady despite the nervousness that was creeping up her stomach.  
  
"I'm telling you, she's not going to make it."  
  
"Shut up Drew!" JJ Cruz smacked the other mans shoulder roughly. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied their teammate who was several hundred yards in front of them preparing to fire at the target.  
  
Drew shoved his friend back and scowled, his face contorted into a look of disgust. "She doesn't belong here."  
  
"You're just pissed because she kicked your ass today."  
  
"It wasn't a fair fight-"  
  
"Yeah, because you wouldn't fight her properly."  
  
"She's small, weak," Drew pointed out in his defense. "I could have broken her arm or something."  
  
"She kicked your ass Drew. Admit it. Mandy may be small but she certainly is not weak."  
  
"Screw off JJ." Drew looked through his binoculars as she shots were fired and he could see Kat's target close up. "How the hell did she do that?" he mused.  
  
"Bullseye." JJ grinned looking at her.  
  
"Beginners luck," Drew grumbled.  
  
"She's not a beginner," JJ shook his head in disagreement.  
  
"Damn right she's not." Another recruit Anna Myers sauntered over to the two. She tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder before continuing. "Everything Miss Mandy told us about herself—total lie."  
  
"What are you talking about?" JJ asked skeptically. He didn't trust Anna Myers, there was something about her that made him wary and he felt unease.  
  
"Well for starters, Amanda Scott isn't even her real name and she is no where near the age of 21." Anna grinned, her eyes glinting with the knowledge of juicy gossip. Anna had, had it in for Mandy ever since the younger recruit had arrived-two weeks later than everyone else. Mandy had quickly taken top female rank during many of the training drills and she'd taken that top spot away from Anna.  
  
Drew leaned in to hear better and JJ against his better judgement did the same.  
  
TBC... 


	54. Chapter Fifty One Part 2

A/N Oh Dizzy Izzy, you are so very funny. But I didn't say anything about Aidan now did I. Hmmmmmmm  
  
Chapter Fifty One  
  
PART TWO  
  
The air was heavy with sweat and the after essence of lovemaking. Jack lay on his back, one leg thrown casually across Irina. She lay on her side, her head resting on his chest. With one arm around her, his fingers traced lazy circles across her back.  
  
Irina hadn't changed much since she'd been Laura. Every inch of her was still soft and seductive. She'd acquired more marks and scars over the years but every inch of her body was still burned into his brain. Every memory was still the same, but was tainted by her betrayal. Still he remembered everything he loved about her. He loved the way she held her head. The way her eyes turned almost to black with desire and the freeness and abandon she displayed when they made love. They were two very different people- Laura and Irina, but they were also the same. They were two beings molded into one.  
  
It had only been recently that'd he'd begun to believe that not all aspects of her portrayal of Laura had been a lie. It had taken Kat for him to realize that. More had been truth, than lie. His daughter had provided an insight into Irina's life that he'd not been able to see before.  
  
Jack was a very different person now than he was back then. Laura's betrayal, the loss of his relationship with his daughter, his work for SD-6 and The CIA had hardened him. They'd created the shell of the man he was today. The man he had to be to survive and the man others feared, the man who'd pushed away his own daughter. It was a lonely life; until Katarina.  
  
Irina shifted against him signaling that she was awake. His fingers returned to the patterns he drew across her dampened skin. She shivered at the touch and Jack tightened his hold on her.  
  
"Coming here-this was not my intention." Irina soft voice whispered against his chest.  
  
"I know," he kissed the top of her head. "What was it that you wanted to talk about?" he asked drawing the sheet up to cover their bodies.  
  
"I needed to tell you-"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Tell me about her?" Irina requested changing the subject. Her hand sought out his and she laced their fingers together.  
  
"About who?" he asked noting the shift.  
  
"Our daughter."  
  
"Katarina?" When Irina nodded in confirmation he thought for a few moments and then continued. "She's a lot like Sydney. Her instincts, the way she talks and moves are very similar. But they are as similar as they are different. When I first met her, she was only the shell of the person she is today. She was scared, vulnerable, distrustful and so very grownup. She was an old soul trapped in the body of a child." Jack began to stroke Irina's long dark tresses as he spoke. "She's different now, more alive. She fights now, really fights for what she wants. There's a spirit, a fire inside her—you'd be proud. Don't get the wrong idea though; she's still very damaged. That's what she calls herself on occasion... damaged goods."  
  
Irina swallowed hard at the mention of those words. "Tell me more."  
  
"She's like a chameleon." Jack kissed the top of Irina's head and trailed his index finger up and down her spine. "I told you before that it's difficult to decipher the truth in her. What she shows isn't always what she feels. She was a robot when I first met her. A robot or a puppet with strings. It was as if someone was controlling her, pulling her strings, telling her what to feel or how to act. She felt nothing except fear; the fear and the hurt were real. She'd compartmentalized her emotions for far too long and she didn't know how to feel things. She didn't know how to react in certain situations or how to trust. Like a chameleon, she would change her colors to adapt to new situations. Similar to a maze, sometimes she would get through an open passage and what she showed was real, other times it was like hitting a brick wall. It was what she'd had to do in order to stay strong and to survive. It was Spain, where things began to change."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Pretending to be someone else, made her realize how much she wanted to be herself. To find out who she was. She began to force herself to open up, for real, not just the façade she normally presented. She began to change. The change was for the better and then everything she gained seemed lost when I told her that I was her father and Khasinau took her-"  
  
"I never meant to keep her paternity from you for that long," Irina interrupted gently grazing her nails lightly across his chest. "I wanted to tell you the moment you told me that the CIA had found her, but I didn't know the circumstances and there just never seemed to be a good time. She deserved a wonderful father, and I wasn't sure that given your current opinion of me at the time, that either of you would be able to give each other a chance. I wanted things to be perfect, but when Sydney told me the truth, about how she'd grown up, my reasons were inconsequential in comparison to her need for your guidance."  
  
"I know, but Irina--it wasn't all lost. Realizing that Petrov Khasinau was not her father shattered her, but it was only then that she could let go of that part of her past that she was trying to hold on to and accept me." Jack blew gently across her back and grinned as she shivered at the cool breeze. "When I first met her, I wanted to hate her. She was your daughter with another man. I wanted to hate her for it, but I couldn't. She was a part of Sydney; a part of you, and then a part of me." Jack was silent for several moments as he collected his thoughts before continuing and Irina watched his face carefully noting the sparkle in his eye as he spoke of their daughter. "It's impossible to dislike anything about her. She's like a star. She's beautiful and she's bright. She makes you smile just thinking of her. When she smiles, you can't help but smile or when she laughs, you laugh along. She's loyal, courageous, stubborn as all hell, and genuinely brilliant. She doesn't talk a lot, but when she does, you have to stop and pay close attention because it's usually quite important. She's very skilled at practical jokes and is quite unassuming-"  
  
"What kind of jokes?" Irina interrupted her eyes twinkling.  
  
"She tampered with Will Tippin's shampoo and he was left with this atrocious neon pink hair for several days. She glued a baseball hat to Director Kendall's head and changed the washroom signs at the office creating complete chaos. Her biggest one was that she hacked into the CIA's computer system and has changed all the screensavers and mouse icons to different barnyard animals-complete with sound. Tech is still trying to figure out how she did that one-"  
  
"I doubt they ever will," Irina grinned. "When she was young, her sense of humor was rather morbid, it still is-she reminds me of you. What else?"  
  
"I don't know." Jack thought for several moments before continuing. "I honestly don't know a lot about her. From what I've heard, she's a very good singer, gymnast and she plays the piano. She taps a pattern with her left index finger when she lies. She bites her lower lip when she's thinking and she dots her I's with hearts. I've heard her play the violin flawlessly. Her defense skills are quite admirable, acting-accents- improvisation, all very believable. Her linguistics are astounding, computer and code deciphering impecable and you've seen her drawings. I don't know what else to tell you," he shrugged.  
  
"In time," Irina whispered. She looked up at him and was rewarded with a reserved smile as she snuggled into his chest. "It's tempting to want to stay like this forever, safe.... content."  
  
"Forever is a long time."  
  
"Not really." Irina shook her head sadly. "Time goes by so quickly when you're away. Weeks pass into months and months into years. Before you know it, time has just blended together until one day you wake up and realize just how long it's been, how long you've been away from them." Irina fought to keep the tears from her eyes and she succeeded, not wanting Jack to see her so remorseful. "On the other hand, some days are so endless, you'd give anything to blink them away as a distant memory."  
  
Jack reached across Irina into the bedside table and pulled out a photograph of Sydney and Katy at the beach. It had been taken several months before, most likely by Vaughn or Tippin and the two girls sat on the jetty as the sun set. Sydney had her arm around her sister who sat on the rocks; her knees tucked up to her chest, wearing an oversized sweater belonging to one of the guys. Sydney's smile was bright and wide showing the perfect end of a perfect day. Katy's was small; a small upturn of her lips could be seen as rested her chin on her knees. She was merely content; the sadness still remained hidden in her eyes.  
  
He handed the photograph to Irina. "Take this, perhaps the days won't... seem so long."  
  
Touched by his generosity, she couldn't speak and they lay there in silence in each other's arms, consumed by their own thoughts and feelings.  
  
Jack stroked her hair threading the silky strands through his fingers. "What was it you needed to tell me?" he asked softly. When Irina didn't answer he whispered her name only to find her asleep. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, succumbing to a peaceful sleep.  
  
His footsteps echoed through the narrow corridors as JJ made his way down the stairs to the training center. It was late or early depending on how you looked at it. Unable to sleep he'd gone for a walk on the heavily secured grounds and seen the light from the training center. He didn't have to look through the window in order to know who it was. JJ took several steps towards her but stayed in the shadows, watching.  
  
Her hair was encased in a long braid hanging down her back and she wore work out shorts and a sports top. The only sounds were that of her fists hitting the leather punching bag. Over and over and over again, her fists pounded the bag stopping only every so often to wipe the sweat from her face.  
  
He watched her for a long time, studying her movements as she fought with the bag. Sweat dripped from every part of her. Her arms shook with exhaustion but still she kept the battle. Feeling someone watching her, she turned and JJ made his presence known.  
  
"You're dropping your left elbow," JJ pointed out.  
  
"Really," Kat said sarcastically. She watched him walk towards her offering a bottle of water. Kat pulled off her glove and took it. She tilted her head back allowing the cool liquid to trickle down the back of her throat.  
  
"You need to keep it-"  
  
"I know!" Kat snapped. She tossed the bottle back to him and replaced her glove, delivering several harsh blows to the bag. "What do you want?" she turned back to face him.  
  
JJ shrugged. "You're up late."  
  
"Couldn't sleep."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"What do you care." Kat turned and began walking away from him.  
  
"What are you running from Mandy? What are you hiding?" JJ followed her doubling his stride to keep up with her. He grabbed her arm. "How did you get those scars on your back? What's going on?"  
  
"Don't. Touch. Me." Kat said slowly her voice low and slightly wavering. "Don't you ever touch me."  
  
JJ kept his hold on her arm. "Not until you tell me what's going on."  
  
"Leave me alone!" Kat jerked her arm away so hard she fell. Regaining her stance she continued to the stairs at a quick pace.  
  
"Come on Katarina, let's play a game. It's called Let's Tell The Truth." JJ crossed his arms over his chest and watched as she froze mid step and slowly turned around.  
  
"What did you call me?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Katarina, that is your name isn't it? Katarina Bristow?" JJ took several steps towards her and looked her in the eye. "Or is it Kathryn Sullivan? I wasn't too clear on that part, you know, considering she's dead and all."  
  
"You don't know what you're doing," she whispered her voice shaking either from fear or the exhaustion of her lies.  
  
"What am I doing?" he asked. "Come on, Mandy, or Kathryn, or who ever you are, just tell the truth. There's an old saying, 'the truth will set you free', why don't you try it. What's your name?"  
  
As Kat looked him in the eye, she could actually see the pain this was causing him. JJ had been the only one who hadn't treated her like glass since she'd come to the farm. In training they'd gone head to head and he wasn't afraid of her, he'd used his full strength. She respected him for that. "I can't."  
  
"Why not? What are you hiding? Why are you pretending to be someone else?"  
  
"It wasn't my idea. He thought it would be easier. I'm under orders-"  
  
"Whose orders?"  
  
"Director Devlin."  
  
"But he's-"  
  
"I know, the Director of The Central Intelligence Agency." Kat nodded and walked past him, over to the balance beam. She lifted herself onto it with ease and waited for JJ to join her, which he did. She held out her hand to him. "My name is Katarina Bristow."  
  
JJ took her hand and shook it. He was silent allowing her to explain.  
  
"My name used to be Kathryn Sullivan but it was just an alias I used for years so that certain people wouldn't find me. She died and I had to be Katarina again."  
  
"Why did you lie, why did Devlin want you to lie."  
  
"He thought it would be easier for me, and for others, if people didn't know who I really was. What do you know about The Man? Or her real name is Irina Derevko?"  
  
JJ shrugged. "Just what we learned in the terrorist sessions," he said. "She was Russian KGB who was sent on a swallow mission to the USA. Thirty years ago, she seduced and married an American CIA Officer. She worked for years and then gained her own organization and became 'The Man'. What does that have to do with you?"  
  
"The American Agent she married was Jack Bristow. Jack Bristow is my father."  
  
"What?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"I spent basically my entire life, up until five months ago thinking that one man was my father and that he died when I was four and my mom died when I was five. Five months ago, I found out that everything I thought I knew to be truth, was a lie. My mother was alive and I had a sister. The man I thought was my father actually wasn't and he was alive and potentially trying to kill me. And I found out that a man that at first I both despised and respected, was actually my father." Kat allowed JJ a few minutes to let everything sink in before she continued.  
  
"I was born to do this. That may seem a little presumptuous but really it's not. My father is a spy, my mother is a spy and my sister is a spy, and that's only the immediate family that I know exists. Different people have been training me to do this since I was a baby. The worst part is that I didn't even know it, but the truth is that I love it." Kat's eyes lit up as she spoke. "I love everything about it. I even liked writing the post mission report-"  
  
"Wait post mission?" JJ raised an eyebrow.  
  
Kat nodded. "For the last five months, I've been living with my sister or my father or in a safehouse. I've been helping the CIA look for information about something, but I can't go into it, it's confidential. I did participate on an undercover operation in Spain and it was so cool. The adrenaline rush, JJ, there's nothing like it." Kat began picking at the tape surrounding her hands. "I can't really tell you much else, it's mostly confidential, but I did participate in a low risk recovery operation as well. The end result is the reason why I'm here. The CIA knows I'll be a good agent, I just need a little fine-tuning."  
  
"What about the scars?" JJ asked and leaned over slightly to see the traces peeking out from the top of her shorts.  
  
Kat reached behind and lowered the edge of the shorts slightly so that JJ could see the full brunt. She grimaced at the sharp intake of his breath. "They're courtesy of a sonofa bastard in Moscow who wasn't too happy that I didn't know the answers to his questions. I killed him." She took one look at JJ's shocked face and then quickly added more details. "I didn't kill him just like that. It was self defense and it wasn't an easy thing to do."  
  
"How old are you really?" JJ asked and slipped off the beam. "Anna said you weren't 21 so I was figuring 19 maybe?"  
  
"You really want to know?"  
  
"I really want to know."  
  
"It's just a number, don't let it change how you treat me. You're the only one here, whose treated me like an equal from the start. I don't want that to change."  
  
"You have to be honest Katarina," JJ gave her hand a quick squeeze. "I won't tell anyone anything that you're not going to tell them, but we need to be able to trust each other, all of us. People can't trust you if you're lying to them."  
  
"Truth hurts." Kat gave him a half smile. "I'm seventeen."  
  
"Seventeen?" JJ's mouth dropped. "You shouldn't be here, you're just a kid, you're a baby."  
  
"I'm not," Kat shook her head. "I haven't been a kid since I was five years old, just remember what you said."  
  
"Only if you tell the truth." JJ held out his hand to her and they shook on it.  
  
Kat smiled at him. For the first time in the past two weeks, the truth had set her free.  
  
Jack woke to the early morning light peeking through the blinds. He smiled remembering the previous night and reached beside him, but found the bed empty and cold. Jack got out of bed and dressed quickly. He checked the rest of his apartment but found it empty. She was gone. Irina had slipped away during the early morning. As he returned to his bedroom he found that she'd left her mark. Written across his dresser mirror in red lipstick and accompanied by a kiss were three words.  
  
'Truth Takes Time'. 


	55. Chapter FIfty Two

A/n (June 24, 04) Hey everyone here is Chapter Fifty Two of Redemption. Redemption has been nominated in the Work In Progress (WIP) category of the Alias FOF Awards. Thank you so much to the individual(s) who nominated my story it's very flattering. Be sure to check out the FOF Awards and vote for your favorite fics to be put forth into the finals category. You don't have to belong to a specific site or anything to vote. Here is the link to the WIP and just click on the voting form link on the left hand side menu. I hope you'll support Redemption but remember you can vote for as many stories as you like, those with the highest votes will continue into the finals category and be sure to check out all the categories and read the fantastic stories.  
  
REDEMPTION Chapter Fifty Two  
  
As Sydney walked up the steps to The Farm's training office she noticed how eerily similar it was to the facility she'd been at for her training with SD-6. She'd heard of the Farm of course, who hadn't but she'd been told that the SD-6 facility was a part of the farm. In all her naivete, she'd believed the lie. Naturally it would have been very similar to the farm. Arvin Sloane was ex-CIA after all.  
  
Devlin had pulled a lot of strings to get her inside the facility to check up on Kat. He'd been resilient at first to Sydney's request to visit her sister, but a threat of a two-month accumulation of vacation, sick days and holidays was all dhe'd needed to seal the deal. Besides it was a bonus for Devlin who would receive a full report on their newest recruit.  
  
Reaching the top floor she headed straight for meeting location which had been arranged. Seeing the activity around her and the officers of varying ranks she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss at not having been a part of the full CIA indoctrination. The training she'd received at SD-6 had been just as extensive but it couldn't compete with the lie she'd been fed.  
  
"Sydney?"  
  
Sydney turned to the person who had called her name and was greeted with a familiar face. "Hi Sam," she smiled broadly.  
  
"Well aren't you all grown up," Sam Daniels grinned. The elder man gave her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek and then stood back to have a look at her. Sam had been one of the many SD-6 agents fooled into thinking he was working for the CIA. He'd been Sydney's trainer when she initially joined SD-6 at nineteen years of age. After the fall of the alliance and SD-6 it had been Jack who'd suggested him as the head trainer for The Farm when a replacement was needed.  
  
"It's good to see you too." Sydney smiled.  
  
"Now let's take a little walk," Sam tucked Sydney's arm in his own and led her down the hallway. "Now Sydney, imagine my surprise when Director Devlin calls to tell me of a new recruit named Amanda Scott who will be arriving two weeks late to agent training and will require more personalized extensive training than usual. Now whoever thought they could pull the wool over my eyes by simply changing her name needs to have their head examined."  
  
Sydney laughed, "how is she?"  
  
"Your sister is doing very well," Sam seemed quite pleased with her progress. "I have some concerns, but we shall see." He turned to face her. "Your father never mentioned having another child."  
  
"I wasn't aware the two of you were so close." Sydney was evasive.  
  
"We aren't," Sam shook his head. "But your father was an ever present figure during your training, it was very clear where he stood regarding it and your involvement with SD-6. I assume the same applies to your sister."  
  
"He didn't know about her, neither of us did," Sydney explained masking her surprise at the mention of her own training. "Her arrival into our lives was quite unexpected."  
  
"Would that unexpectedness have anything to do with the orders I've been given to train her harder than anyone?"  
  
Sydney didn't answer, it was clear one was not required. Sam led her into a small observation room equipped with volume controls and a one way mirror. "There she is," Sydney whispered softly, instantly spotting her sister swinging on a set of uneven bars.  
  
Sam moved to stand beside her and crossed his arms over his chest as they watched Kat perform several flips on the bars. Her form was perfect as she arched, twisted and stretched over the two-bar span, her gymnast training ever present in each move. "When I first met her and saw her in action, it was like looking into the past."  
  
Sydney bit her lip to keep from smiling, "really?"  
  
"Oh yes." Sam nodded. "She's much more advanced than you were, seems to have a quieter personality, and I would say her stubborn streak is even worse than yours, but other than that...."  
  
"Who is that with her?" Sydney asked nodding to another recruit who'd begun spotting Kat as she mounted the beam.  
  
"JJ Cruz, he's in her section," Sam explained. "The rest of them are on free time, they've gone to town, but never her; Cruz often stays behind and works with her. Under orders from Director Devlin, Recruit Amanda Scott is forbidden to leave the grounds. Instead of resting, she trains. She works herself harder than any other here. She pushes herself until she's so exhausted she can barely stand and only then does she rest." Sam turned to look at Sydney. "Would you care to tell me why that is? Why am I training her harder than anyone else? Why is a seventeen-year-old girl here in the first place?"  
  
Sydney avoided his gaze. Part of her wanted to keep the truth from him, to try and allow Kat the semblance of anonymity, but he knew something; exactly what, she wasn't sure. "You know?" she asked casually to determine what exactly he did know.  
  
Sam raised an eyebrow. "I know only what the other recruits figured out and what she told them. "Her name is Katarina Bristow, she's seventeen years old, her father and sister are CIA Agents and her mother is Irina Derevko. Many of the other recruits didn't take well to this information, particularly her age and who her mother is. They don't think she belongs here. Most of them have never considered her an equal to begin with and this knowledge made things ten times worse. She relies solely on Cruz to treat her as an equal and to use full force while training. She hasn't been very forthcoming about her past. What am I missing?"  
  
Sydney crossed her arms over her chest keeping her eye on her sister who was now blindfolded and was fighting JJ Cruz on the eight-inch wide balance beam. "Katy's different than other people, she's special," Sydney explained. "There are some who want information that she may or may not have. Others who believe she is something that she's just not. She needs to be able to protect herself, both physically and emotionally." Sydney turned to Sam and leaned against the glass window as she spoke. "Compartmentalization is key but she also needs to learn how to relieve that, how to decompress. She's been through more pain in the last seventeen years than anyone should ever have to experience. She's been hurt deeply by those she was supposed to trust. She's been betrayed by those who were supposed to protect her. She didn't grow up like other children did, and as a result she's the person she is today. She bottles things up until she explodes. She lies and she's very good at it. She keeps secrets, she can be very manipulative when it suits her, there are few people that she has any amount of trust in-"  
  
"The trust," Sam interrupted. "The trust is an issue with her, it makes working in teams rather difficult. At this point, I can only see her as a solo agent. Perhaps undercover, she's good at it, but no partner, not unless its someone she knows and trusts already and she certainly will not settle for a desk job."  
  
"Much to our displeasure," Sydney sighed. "We didn't want her to have any part of this life."  
  
"She's too strong willed and stubborn to do what others want," Sam said, amusement showing in his voice.  
  
"That is the truth, but sometimes she doesn't know her limits," Sydney sighed and turned back to the window. She watched her sister fight for several more minutes. Kat took several falls from the beam but each time, still blindfolded she got right back up. "She is really good," Sydney commented.  
  
"She's better than good," Sam touched Sydney's shoulder forcing her to turn and look at him. "She's like you, the kind of agent that people would kill for to have under their control."  
  
Sydney shuddered slightly at his words; they were exactly the truth.  
  
"Based on your reaction, or lack there of it seems that this doesn't surprise you." Sam looked directly into Sydney's eyes. "She is not a novice Sydney, she was trained, before she came here and some of the things she does and the way that she does them, tells me that it was foreign intelligence, perhaps FDL or K-Directorate?" Sam eyed Sydney silently demanding answers. "Help me to help her. I can't train her to the best of her ability if I don't know what's going on. Sydney?"  
  
Sydney shook her head. If she told him, she was breaking her confidentiality agreement, if she didn't, Sam was right and her sister's safety was more important than a document.  
  
"Confidentially, it was KGB," she admitted. "Katy was trained, or brainwashed, conditioned, what ever you want to call it, it was done when she was four years old and she has no memory of it. As she grew up she was put into activities that would enhance that training, such as gymnastics, drama, karate, kickboxing, and she had no idea what was really going on."  
  
"KGB?" Sam asked surprised that it had been done at such a young age.  
  
Sydney nodded. "She was pre-programmed to be a spy, but the extent-well we still don't know exactly what was done to her."  
  
Sam was silent as he nodded in comprehension.  
  
Sydney turned her attention back to the window and watched as Kat and JJ sparred. Circling each other the waited for the other to make the first move. JJ was a difficult fighter. He had a lot of strength and power and in addition to being quick on his feet, his kicks were powerful and well directed. "She drops her left elbow," Sydney observed, her nose wrinkling in dissatisfaction. "And he's very good."  
  
"They work well together, very well. And it seems to me that there was another who had difficulty keeping her elbow up." Sam smiled in amusement.  
  
"I still do," Sydney near laughed. Her voice then took a more serious tone. "I'm glad it's you training her She needs the best, and Sam, you are the best."  
  
"Thank you," Sam willingly accepted the compliment. "She still has quite a ways to go, but she's very good and she'll be like you, she'll be the one they all talk about."  
  
Sydney hid a smile, focusing her attention back on her sister who was now sparring with another trainer. Kat looked older now and it had only been two months since Sydney had last seen her. She'd built up strength through out her entire body and had put on a few pounds taking away a bit of the childish figure she'd had. As one of the trainers blindfolded her, Kat looked directly up at the glass, unknowing that Sydney was there and Syd could see that some things didn't change. Her sister's eyes were still so full of sadness. "You said you had concerns?" Sydney questioned crossing to the opposite side of the room to watch the sparring match from a better angle.  
  
Sam crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "There are many things working against her," he explained. "Her height, her sex, her strength and her overall physical size. It is not difficult for anyone to grab her and throw her across the room. She can be easily over powered and that worries me. Her size and strength will affect her ability to retaliate which means that her other skills will need to overcompensate. She will need to use her improvisation skills and quick thinking to try and counter situations before they arise. However those disadvantages also give her several advantages. She has the element of surprise. She's very unassuming and will definitely be overlooked by the enemy as a possible threat, but when she's up against a man more that twice her weight and size, the outcome could be less than favorable."  
  
"She can do it," Sydney said confidently. "I know she can."  
  
"I hope you're right-"  
  
"I want to fight her," Sydney interrupted looking at Sam. "I need to see for myself."  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Absolutely," Sydney nodded and Sam led her from the room and down the steps to where Kat was blindfolded and sparring with another recruit. There was now a rather large group of recruits observing Kat, many having returned from their free time.  
  
"Her sensory awareness is probably the best I've seen in years," Sam commented as they approached the group. "She can do just about anything blindfolded and the outcome is just as good as if she could see, sometimes better."  
  
"Why doesn't that surprise me," Sydney smiled as she slipped off her jacket.  
  
She quietly circled Kat several times before approaching her from behind. Although Sydney thought she'd been silent apparently she wasn't quiet enough as Kat grabbed her outstretched arm and swung her. Sydney got to her feet and watched her sister's face carefully. Kat was concentrating hard on the sounds around her to decipher which were from her attacker and which were the onlookers. Sydney faked left and went it on the right. Catching Kat off guard, she was easily able to take her down.  
  
Kat hit the floor hard on her butt and scrambled to her feet, her hands ready for another approach. She could tell the person she was fighting was new. They were testing her, quick approaches to determine her weakness. The blindfold was slipping down over her eyes and the sensation was an irritating distraction. Her loss of focus resulted in Sydney placing several well-directed kicks and punches to her abdomen.  
  
Kat lay on her back for a moment trying to catch her breath before she jumped back up still breathing hard from the defeat. Sweat poured from her forehead drenching her top and clinging to her back. Whoever she was fighting was tough. Just when Kat thought she had her, her opponent would pull something and Kat would be flat on her back or vice versa.  
  
Sydney circled her sister once more. They were playing a game of cat and mouse, neither wanting to be the hunted. She hadn't actually hurt Kat yet and she wouldn't either. Kat's falls had been hard, but then again, so had her own. Sydney paused for a moment to wipe the sweat from her face with the sleeve of her shirt. She leaned over heaving slightly to catch her breath as she watched her sister stand ready and waiting. Kat was a good fighter. Sam was correct in his estimation that she could be easily over powered but then again he'd only seen her in training. He had no idea what a wild cat she really was in the field, when she was threatened. She could fight with the best of them, but she could also hold her restraint quite well and knew when to hold back and allow things to progress naturally. Except when it came to Irina of course. Unless Kat could learn to control her anger and compartmentalize her past feelings, their mother would be her downfall.  
  
Sydney hadn't underestimated her sister's fighting ability, not exactly. She'd expected her to be quick and forceful, her kicks and punches well directed, but she hadn't expected Kat to take her down so quickly. Either she was a little rusty or Kat's sensory skills were more than astounding.  
  
Sydney suddenly launched herself at Kat hoping for a surprise attack but her sister had been expecting it and flipped Sydney onto her back. Kat straddled her waist and forcefully pinned her arms above her head and struggling with her.  
  
"Alright, alright, I give up little sister. You win," Sydney lay her head down on the rubberized floor breathing heavily. Had she not kept her eyes open Sydney would have missed the look of surprise and absolute horror that passed her sisters face as Kat pulled every which way at the blind fold trying to get it off.  
  
"Sydney?" Kat gasped for air struggling with the restraint and finally succeeding in freeing her vision. "What are you doing?"  
  
Sydney looked up at her wide terrified eyes and shifted her body slightly. "Katy, I'm fine," she grimaced attempting to sit up but her efforts failed. "But if you don't get off my chest asphyxiation is a possibility."  
  
Sydney watched Kat's lips form a small "o" and she sat frozen in place for a few moments before snapping into action. Rolling back onto the balls of her feet, Kat crouched and extended her hand to Sydney pulling them both upright to a standing position. Kat leaned forwards; her hands resting on her thighs her head hung to the ground as her body slowly relieved the tension of the fight.  
  
"That was awesome." JJ thrust a bottle of water into her line of vision and gratefully Kat nodded her thanks and took it. She tilted her head back and gulped the water allowing the liquid to cool and fill her throat completely before swallowing. Pulling the bottle from her lips Kat used the back of her hand to wipe a trickle of water from her chin. She stood staring at Sydney, oblivious to those around her as she waited for an explanation.  
  
"I wanted to see how you were doing-"Sydney's explanation was cut short as Kat suddenly hurtled herself into her sisters arms. Surprised at her sister's sudden and unexpected show of affection it took several moments for Sydney to close her arms around her in a brief quick hug. Like always with Katarina, any show of affection was unexpected, brief and so few and far in-between. It was the unexpectedness of the emotion that those on the receiving end could always tell that what was shown, was truth.  
  
Kat pulled away, chewing her lip, her eyes downcast as they darted around nervously at the other people attempting to determine how many onlookers had witnessed it.  
  
"How are things?"  
  
"They're fine, great actually." A smile passed her lips and a hand tucks a lock of hair, which had fallen out of its messy bun during the fight, behind her right ear.  
  
It was a closed lip smile, a brief answer, and the shy quiet persona Kat had suddenly adopted, which told Sydney her words were not the truth. That was one of the things Sydney doubted she'd ever be able to understand about her sister, how the personality shifts were so swift they were almost unnoticeable and yet seemed so natural. Her sister's voice could change from a shout to a whisper, mid-sentence and few would notice the difference.  
  
The crowd had broken away into small whispered groups, as they spoke of Sydney and her escapades. Mind you, the question of how true the stories were, begged to be answered.  
  
Sydney led Kat off to the corner away from curious onlookers. "Truth Katy," she demanded. "How are you doing?"  
  
Kat shrugged. "Alright, I guess."  
  
Sydney raised her eyebrows in a silent challenge.  
  
"It's just hard," she admitted with a sigh. She leaned against the wall and took another gulp of water before continuing. "It's not the training- the training is easy, I just—I just want to be back in LA."  
  
Sydney nodded understanding completely. It made sense now. The little girl, alone and abandoned by the world, who'd raised herself into the incredible young woman she was today, who'd never had a real place to call home--was homesick, as if she were away at summer camp for the first time.  
  
"It's not for too much longer." Sydney was sympathetic as she put an arm around Kat's shoulders and begun to lead her from the training center. "Come on, I've only got a few hours here and I want to take you to dinner."  
  
"But Devlin won't allow me to leave."  
  
"What Devlin doesn't know, can't hurt him," Syd whispered in her ear laughing.  
  
"I'm glad you're here."  
  
"So am I."  
  
"So I kicked your ass right?" Kat smiled slyly.  
  
"No, dear little sister," Sydney corrected. "We kicked each others asses."  
  
"You just keep thinking that," Kat's laughter echoed through the long hallway as the two walked side by side. 


	56. Chapter Fifty Three

A/N Here is Chapter Fifty Three, it's just a short one that I'm not particularly proud of but a filler necessity. As I posted before, Redemption has been nominated for The Alias FanFiction Awards in the WIP CATEGORY I posted the link before but it didn't work so here it is again just make sure you put the www in ( aliasfof.com ) just go and click on categories or Voting Forms. You can vote for as many stories as you want in each of the categories so be sure to go and read all the great stories and vote for the ones you like. If you want to vote for Redemption it is in the WIP Progress. Voting ends soon though. Regardless of the crappiness of this chapter, I hope you'll like it and give some feedback it does have a couple sweet moments and I promise you some big big stuff is coming up a few chapters from now.  
  
Redemption Chapter Fifty Three  
  
Vaughn set his wineglass on the end table and shifted his position pressing Sydney into the couch. His lips never leaving hers, he pulled out two pillows from under her and tossed them on the floor. Sydney moaned deeply as he kissed her senseless and his hands traveled the length of her body. Sydney had lost her shirt a few hundred kisses before and as Vaughn leaned back to take his off she licked her lips in the anticipation of touching his skin. Suddenly he let out a cry of pain and Sydney had to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter.  
  
"A little privacy please Ollie," Vaughn reached over his shoulder and grabbed Kat's kitten Oliver by the scruff of the neck and deposited the little urchin on the floor. He turned his attention back to Sydney. "Don't laugh that hurt," he groaned rubbing his neck where fresh nail marks had been made. Sydney tried to keep a straight face but couldn't and she burst into laughter.  
  
"I'm sure it did. Poor baby," she rubbed away a tiny trace of blood and bit her lip to keep from laughing any further.  
  
"That little creature is a hellion, you know that right?" Vaughn gave Sydney a quick kiss on the lips. "He's been out to get me since day one."  
  
"Of course," she said in between kisses and groaned as his lips traveled down her neck sucking at her pulse point. "He's Katy's cat, would you expect any less?"  
  
Vaughn pulled away from a moment and shook his head. "No not really."  
  
"Didn't think so-"  
  
They were interrupted by Sydney's phone. "I should get that," she reached for the cordless on the coffee table.  
  
"Hello? Hi Will," she tried to push Vaughn away who was intent on devouring her neck while she spoke. 'Stop,' she mouthed to him as she listened to Will on the other end. "The carnival on the pier tomorrow night? I don't know Will; I'll have to talk to Vaughn and see. I'll call you.Yes I'll call you tomorrow morning. Bye. Yes call Weiss. Okay, Bye Will."  
  
Sydney tossed the phone on the floor and held out her arms to Vaughn to resume their previous activities.  
  
"What did Will want?" Vaughn asked walking his fingers over her stomach.  
  
"There's a carnival on the Pier this weekend. He wondered if we wanted to go. Marshall and Carrie are going with him and Weiss," Sydney explained.  
  
"No Baby Kate?" Vaughn raised an eyebrow knowing that the baby hadn't been out of Carrie's sight for more than an hour at a time since her birth.  
  
"No," Sydney shook her head. "First time."  
  
"Hmmm, I was kind of hoping to have you all to myself tomorrow night." Vaughn placed light butterfly kisses across her belly. It was the first weekend they'd had together in months where a mission of some sort or another wasn't planned.  
  
"Hmm sounds better than cotton candy and the ferris wheel." Sydney grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up for a kiss. "I-" She was cut off by the musical ring from Vaughn's cell phone. Sydney groaned as Vaughn pulled away to answer it.  
  
"It could be important," he apologized searching his jacket pockets for his phone. "Hello?" He sighed. 'Weiss', he mouthed to Sydney. "Weiss it's 8 O'clock on a Friday night, what are you still doing at work, go home! I know you have work to do, but it'll still be there on Monday. The arms dealer in Mexico? Montoya, Enrique Montoya. No problem, Weiss, go home." Vaughn ended the call and promptly turned his phone off.  
  
"No more interruptions," he promised Sydney.  
  
"I can't believe Weiss was still at work," Sydney reached for Vaughn's belt and unbuckled it. Pulling it through the loops she tossed it on the floor. She was surprised knowing that it was usually Weiss who was the first one out of the office on a Friday afternoon.  
  
Vaughn shrugged. "I don't know what's going on with him. The last few months he seems to spend more time there than anywhere else."  
  
"No more talk about Weiss or Will or anything," Sydney watched as Vaughn removed his pants and then grabbed his hand tugging him back down on top of her. "Just you and me."  
  
"Perfect." Vaughn resumed his kisses along her stomach and then moved upwards kissing her breasts through the lace of her bra. Reaching behind her he unhooked it, but then stopped when the doorbell was rung. "For God's sake," Vaughn cried out in frustration.  
  
"Shhhh," Sydney covered his mouth and her own to cover her laughter. "Maybe if we're quiet they'll go away."  
  
"Seems unlikely," Vaughn groaned as the bell was rung again and he got off Sydney.  
  
"Two minutes and I'll get rid of them," Sydney promised as she stood and grabbed her blouse pulling it on as she walked to the front door. She looked through the peephole, "What the... Vaughn, get dressed!" she whispered urgently as she quickly buttoned her blouse.  
  
"What's going on?" Vaughn grabbed his shirt and slipped it on watching as Sydney began to open the door.  
  
"Katy?" Sydney opened the door.  
  
"Hi Syd," Kat stepped inside and was immediately enveloped in a big hug. "Good to see you too," she laughed as Sydney squeezed her tight. "Hi Mike," she gave him a small wave over Sydney's shoulder and tried not to laugh at the sight of him hopping around while trying to zip up his pants.  
  
"Hey KitKat," Vaughn gave her an embarrassed smile as he walked over to the two.  
  
"What are you doing here? Why didn't you call, we could have picked you up at the airport?"  
  
"I don't know," she shrugged. "Didn't want to bother you I guess."  
  
"Katy, you're never a bother," Sydney chided her. "This is your home."  
  
"Thanks," she smiled slightly. "I finished... a little later than the others, but I'm done now. I'm officially CIA."  
  
"Congratulations," Vaughn kissed her cheek.  
  
"Thanks Mike."  
  
"I'm really proud of you." Sydney gave her sister another quick hug.  
  
"Wow this is awkward," Kat laughed nervously quite aware of exactly what she'd interrupted between Vaughn and her sister.  
  
"What? No," Sydney shook her head. "Katy, this is your home-"  
  
"Actually," Kat interrupted her. "I know we kind of assumed that I would just move back with you once I came back to LA, but I've been thinking lately and I think I'd like to stay with Jack-with Dad."  
  
"Are you sure?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Yes," she nodded reassuringly. "You have your own life-"  
  
"Katy no-" Sydney protested.  
  
"Yes," she said firmly. "You have your own life Sydney; I need to make one too. I want to get to know my dad. I want to know what he likes, doesn't like. What kind of person he is." She and Sydney sat down on the couch. "Besides," she glanced at Vaughn smiling slightly. "I know it's been said that I'm a little... wild I guess, and I've never had anyone to disappoint. Not that I'm going to disappoint him, I just, I want a chance, I want to know him as my father and I want to give us a chance. Who knows," she shrugged. "Maybe it'll work out."  
  
"Are you sure?" Sydney asked  
  
"Positive," she nodded. "This is what I want Sydney. I just wanted to come and tell you, he's expecting me."  
  
"I'll drive you over-"  
  
"No," she shook her head. "I want you and Mike to enjoy your evening and if I don't see you this weekend, I will see you on Monday at work."  
  
"Kat really, it's not a problem-"  
  
"No," she interrupted Vaughn. "And that's the end of it."  
  
"Alright," Syd gave in. "But don't forget Oliver, he's been missing you."  
  
"He's here?" she was surprised and looked around for the kitten instantly spotting him playing with a ball of yarn behind the couch. The orange tabby cat began licking her face as soon as Kat picked him up, and a few minutes later she tied a string to his collar and they left.  
  
"That was odd," Vaughn closed the door and sat beside Sydney on the couch. "She seemed different; happy to be back, but not really at the same time."  
  
Sydney nodded in agreement. "I know, when I visited her, she couldn't wait to come back and now..."  
  
"She'll be alright," Vaughn said reassuringly and put an arm around her shoulders. "She's a tough kid. I think maybe sometimes you just have to let her be, not push her."  
  
"I know, you're right," Sydney lay her head on his shoulder and then turned towards him and kissed him. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
Jack retrieved his mail from the box and used his key to enter the building lobby. Normally he opted for the stairs, but tonight he was just too tired. He was about enter the elevator when he spotted a small, round, moving, orange ball at the base of the steps. He recognized it immediately and took the stairs two at a time up to his floor. He certainly didn't expect the scene before him.  
  
"Katarina?" Jack set his briefcase on the floor and knelt beside the girl who was curled up on the floor, a strand of yarn tied around her wrist and her head resting on her knapsack. He shook her and she woke. Sitting up slowly she yawned and stretched.  
  
"Hi Jack," she rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"  
  
"Nearly eleven," he answered. "How long have you been here? Why didn't you call or go in and why are you asleep on the hallway floor?"  
  
"Hmmm since like 9, I didn't want to bother you, I didn't know which code you were using for the alarm and jet lag." She answered his questions in succession. She yawned and lay back on her knapsack stretching. It was then that she noticed the severed string tied to her wrist. She bolted upright, "Oliver!"  
  
"Katarina." Jack opened his jacket to reveal the curious orange kitten. "I found him downstairs asleep on the stairs." He held up the shorn edge of the string. "He likes to chew." Jack set the kitten down on the floor and took Kat's hands pulling her to her feet. "Why didn't you call? Tell me you were coming? You shouldn't have been out by yourself, I thought you were staying for another two weeks."  
  
"Nothing happened," Kat sighed watching as Jack searched his pocket for his keys. "Sam already kept me two weeks longer than everyone else, I just managed to talk him out of another two weeks. It was very last minute," she explained. "I just, wanted to see you."  
  
"Are you alright?" Jack asked holding the door open for her."  
  
"Sure," she nodded. "Just tired."  
  
"Good." Jack retrieved her forgotten knapsack and followed her into the apartment.  
  
"Is it okay that I'm here?" she asked.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"I know you thought that I'd want to back to Sydney's but I wanted to see you," she explained. "I want to stay with you if that's okay."  
  
She looked at him hopefully and Jack knew there was only one thing he could say. "It's good to have you home. Three months, was a long time."  
  
"Thanks Dad."  
  
He watched the brief smile pass her lips and he knew that there was something she wasn't telling, but what exactly he wasn't sure.  
  
An hour later with Kat safely in her bed and Oliver nestled in the groove above her head Jack closed her door and made his way to the living room. It was then as he picked up her forgotten sketchpad from the floor that he realized what was bothering her. 


	57. Chapter FIfty Four

A/N Please give Feedback, good or bad is always appreciated and adored and especially encouraging to write another chapter. Also don't forget to check out Illusion of Sin, it's another fic by me. It's new and I worked really hard on it so I hope you'll like it and please give feedback on it too! Good and bad is really appreciated. Just copy and paste the link Thanks for Reading and Enjoy!  
  
Recap:  
  
Kat arrives back from agent training, quite unexpected.  
  
Redemption  
  
Chapter Fifty Four  
  
If ever there was a perfect dream to be interrupted, it was his and Eric Weiss fought tooth and nail  
  
He stood on the darkened stage in a black tuxedo with tails. The starched white collar was decidedly annoying as it scratched at his neck. He donned a top hat to complete the look. The audience thundered its applause as he made a sweeping bow, the fog rolling in around his ankles. "And now for my next trick... Eric wake up," a faint voice called to him.  
  
"Go away," he mumbled still content on finishing his dream. The audience was still waiting for him.  
  
"Please."  
  
"No." The pleading voice sounded so familiar to him as he tried to ignore the constant bouncing around him.  
  
"Pretty please."  
  
He grumbled sleepily and then heard a deep heavy sigh and felt an unfamiliar weight against his chest. His chest felt heavy as he breathed in and out still clinging to the dreamt image in his mind. He was curious as to the source of the weight, but was also reluctant to fully wake. He didn't feel threatened. He could still see the audience in his mind the cheering and clapping, urging him on. Light fingers gently tapped his cheek and he twitched slightly at the annoyance and tried to slap the offending movement with his hand.  
  
"Come on," he groaned grumpily as the image of the audience slipped from his mind and he was forced to open his eyes. It took a few seconds in his sleep-induced daze to recognize the scene before him.  
  
The lightweight he felt on his chest was a body. A relatively small body that straddled his hips and lay down on his chest. Her hands were folded; her fingers interlaced on his chest and her chin rested on them. Her eyes were large and innocent waiting in anticipation staring him right in the eyes.  
  
"What the- Jesus Kat!" Weiss jumped slightly recognizing that it was an actual person sitting on him.  
  
"Finally you're awake." Kat let out a dramatic sigh as she pulled her chest off his and sat up still sitting on his waist.  
  
Weiss pulled his body up slightly so he was leaning against the headboard. He rubbed his eyes and blinked several times to get a better look at her. Her head was cocked to one side with that wide-eyed child like innocent look that only she could deliver after breaking and entering.  
  
She seemed older. Her hair was much longer than he remembered, now reaching about half way down her back. She no longer straightened it and she wore it loose and curled with the sides twisted together and held back by a clip. She was wearing a pink tank top and denim shorts. Although she didn't look much bigger, it was clearly evident that she'd built up a lot of muscle during her three-month training regime.  
  
Weiss checked the alarm clock beside his head. It was only eight am. "What are you doing here? How did you get in, didn't I set the alarm?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he rambled his questions and then ran a hand through his hair which was stuck out at odd angles.  
  
"I wanted to see you," she gave him a look of annoyance. "And yes you did set the alarm, I just did a little creative rewiring and lock picking."  
  
"Is that what they're teaching you in Spy School these days-how to break and enter into your friends homes. Why couldn't you ring the doorbell like a normal person?" Weiss yawned loudly and shut his eyes suddenly grateful for the fact that he was wearing sweat pants and a T-shirt. Only Kat would have the guts to break into the house of someone she hadn't seen in three months and wake them out of a dead sleep.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll wire it back the way it was. Besides it was early, real early."  
  
Weiss cracked one eye open. "8 AM on a Saturday morning is early 'Shiner, how long have you been here?"  
  
"Couple hours," She shrugged. "Since like five."  
  
"What!" He stretched groaning as the kinks popped out of his arms and back.  
  
"Jet lag," she explained simply. "I got back last night and I couldn't sleep anymore."  
  
"Who else knows you're back?"  
  
"Just you, Sydney, Vaughn and my dad. Come to the beach with me?" she requested.  
  
"What? Kat it's 8 O'clock on a Saturday morning. I didn't get in until three last night."  
  
"Please," she begged. "It's my last two days of freedom."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Weiss yawned loudly shutting his eyes once more.  
  
"Eric," Kat pinched his cheek lightly and was rewarded with a deep growl as he was forced to open his eyes. "I'm done now. I'm CIA. I start work on Monday."  
  
"Serious?"  
  
"Yes." She nodded rolling her eyes at him. "Please?"  
  
"It's too early," he groaned and sat up. Despite her protests he lifted her off his body and dropped her beside his legs. Laying back down he turned on his side and pulled the duvet up to his chin.  
  
Heaving a large sigh she flopped down beside him and kicked her legs under the duvet.  
  
Weiss closed his eyes again, trying to ignore Kat's restless turning beside him. She kept kicking his legs so it was a little difficult to ignore. "Alright, alright you win!" he turned over to face her.  
  
"Really?" she propped her head up with her hand.  
  
"Yes we'll go to the beach. Just let me wake up and take a shower alright."  
  
"You're awesome," she leaned over and kissed his cheek before standing up on the bed and walking over him to the other side. Instinctively he reached up and grabbed her by the waist as she walked over his form to prevent her from stepping some place she shouldn't. "I'll make you breakfast." She jumped off the bed landing with a loud thump. "How about pancakes? You like pancakes right?"  
  
"Sure Kat." Weiss rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. "Hmm," he mumbled into the soft fabric. "Pancakes sound good. Panca- Kat no!" he shouted literally jumping out of his bed in an effort to get to the kitchen as fast as he could. He nearly skidded into the wall as he reached the kitchen. Kat was staring out the living room window a box in her hand. Weiss had to call her name twice before she responded and turned to him.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You were kidding right, about the pancakes?"  
  
Kat laughed and held up the cereal box she was holding.  
  
"Thank God," he sighed in relief.  
  
"You thought I was serious," she grinned.  
  
Weiss walked over to her. "You and your domestic skills, or lack there of are never allowed in my kitchen. I like the color of my kitchen." He took the box from her and set it on the counter.  
  
"Come on, Sydney liked the paint job, though I still say we should have painted the ceiling."  
  
"Yeah and my ass would have been on the roof," he laughed. She laughed as well but her heart wasn't in it. "You okay?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," she nodded. "I'm just happy to be home. I missed LA."  
  
"Come here," Weiss put an arm around her shoulders and drew her to him. "LA is happy to have you home," he said giving her a friendly hug. "Everyone missed you."  
  
"Thanks Eric, I missed you too." She gave him a genuine smile.  
  
"Alright," he pulled away from her. "Let me take a shower then I'll take you out for breakfast and to the beach."  
  
She nodded and turned back to the window. "Sounds great."  
  
Weiss padded back to the hallway and stood for a moment watching her. She was sad, something wasn't quite right.  
  
He had a much better handle on Kat now. More often now, he could tell when she was falsifying happiness. Today she was. He watched her through breakfast, laughing at his jokes and making a few of her own. She picked at her breakfast barely eating anything preferring to simply move it around on her plate as she usually did when she was upset. As Eric paid the bill and signed his visa slip, he caught her watching a young child with great interest and it was then that he realized what had her so upset.  
  
The waitress handed his credit card back and he slipped it in his pocket watching Kat for a few more moments. She turned and caught his eye. Shaking her head she laughed at him and made a face like she usually did when she caught him watching her.  
  
He did that a lot... watched her, but to him, the reason was unknown-he just did it. 'God Kat, why didn't you say anything,' he thought to himself. Weiss gave her a smile deciding not to press her, to let her come to him when she was ready.  
  
"Don't do it Kat. I'm warning you don't-"  
  
Weiss' pleas were ignored as Kat splashed a bucket full of water on him.  
  
"That was supposed to be for the moat," he grumbled flicking the salt water in her direction.  
  
"So what I'll get some more. "Kat grabbed another bucket and took off down to the ocean line. She and Weiss had arrived at the beach shortly after breakfast and had set at building a village of castles in the mid July heat.  
  
Jack had been watching the two construct an elaborate castle under Kat's careful instruction for quite some time and with Kat finally separated from Agent Weiss he approached the younger man. "I wasn't aware you had such an artistic side."  
  
Weiss stood up quickly brushing the sand from his hands. "Agent Bristow?" He was surprised, unable to believe that Jack Bristow was standing on the beach in a dark business suit.  
  
Jack removed his sunglasses and slipped them into his breast pocket. "How is she?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest as they watched Kat help a few random little girls fill up some sandbuckets with water.  
  
"She's..." Weiss shrugged. "Do you know what today is?" he asked carefully watching Kat interact with the children.  
  
"I know."  
  
"She's doing what she does best," Weiss said honestly. "Pretending like there's nothing wrong."  
  
Jack nodded understanding completely. "Agent Weiss I have a request." He turned to face Weiss. "Sydney and I are going to be occupied for the next two days, as will Agent Vaughn and Tippin. Could Katarina stay with you?"  
  
"Sure," he shrugged. "What's going on?"  
  
Jack handed Eric a knapsack. "I've packed some of her clothes. I'm going to tell her that we will be out of town." Kat turned and spotted Jack and Weiss watching her and she walked quickly back to them. "Sydney will call you later with the details. Watch what she's eating, she tends to get a little reckless when she's upset."  
  
"Of course." Weiss gave Kat a smile as she walked up to them.  
  
"What is it? Is everything okay?" Kat asked urgently.  
  
"Everything is fine Katarina." Jack reached out and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.  
  
"What's wrong? I left a note."  
  
"I got it thank you." And he was thankful to find a note after waking up at six in the morning to find her bed empty. "Katarina, would you take a walk with me?"  
  
"You'll get sand in your shoes," she laughed looking down at his polished black leather shoes that were already coated in a fine layer of dusty sand.  
  
Weiss had to hold in his laughter as Jack stepped onto a beach blanket and removed his socks and shoes. After folding up the cuffs he stood up and held out his hand to his daughter.  
  
Clearly surprised Kat gave Weiss a look before taking his hand and they walked down the beach.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked after a few moments of silence.  
  
Jack's pace slowed until he stopped. He turned to face Kat. "You look different," he tugged slightly at a lock of hair that had fallen out of its clip. "Older."  
  
"It was only three months Jack-"  
  
"How's your back?" he interrupted.  
  
"My back?" Confused Kat turned her back to him so he could see for himself. She was wearing a simple black bathing suit and denim shorts to cover the scars. "It's fine."  
  
"They healed nicely," he said gently touching the scars that Viktor Melnikov had inflicted upon her using his belt. Jack put an arm around her shoulders as they started walking again. Kat reached to her side and took his hand squeezing it gently.  
  
"Jack, you're starting to scare me," she said softly. "Is Sydney okay, have I done something?"  
  
"No," he shook his head. "Sydney is fine and you haven't done anything wrong." Spotting a bench slightly up from the shoreline he walked her towards it. "I'm going to be away on business in Paris for a few days. Sydney and Agent Vaughn are also on an operation and won't be back until Monday at the earliest. For the time being I'd like you to stay with Agent Weiss, is that alright?" When Kat nodded her approval he moved on. "Katarina, I know what today is."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Instinctively Kat drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees hugging them in protection.  
  
"I saw your sketch book, you're drawing him again." Jack gently prodded her knowing this wasn't going to be easy, his daughter had already gone completely rigid and pulled away from his touch. "Katarina, you need to stop this obsession. Continuing to want something you can never have will destroy you."  
  
"Maybe he's what keeps me going." Angrily Kat stood and ran towards the shoreline. Kicking her feet in the wet sand, she dug her toes in and clenched her hands into fists; her entire body shook in anger. Who was he to tell her what to do how to feel? She breathed deeply and blinked away the tears. She would not lose it in front of him; she would not show weakness or cry in front of him.  
  
Jack allowed her a few moments by herself to calm down before following. "Sweetheart," he touched her shoulder and as expected she pulled away. Kat took a step back and watched with a sudden fascination as the waves pulled them out to sea leaving a smooth surface in their wake.  
  
"The ocean is taking them out to sea," Jack said softly in her ear.  
  
"To play with the dolphins." She looked up at Jack's surprised face. "Irina used to say that," she explained. "She used to take me to the Jersey shore when I was little."  
  
"I used to tell Sydney that when she was young." Jack explained. "Laura and I would take her to the beach often. They both loved it."  
  
"That would explain it," Kat stepped on the wet sand and made new footprints. She stepped back allowing the wave to wash them away. "She used to get this look in her eye, like she wasn't really all there. She must have been remembering Sydney."  
  
Jack put a firm hand on her shoulder and guided Kat away from the water's edge. "Katarina, I am not asking you to forget him, or to diminish his importance to you but I cannot blindly stand by while you torture yourself. I see what it is doing to you. Thinking about him constantly is killing you."  
  
"He's my-"  
  
"I understand," Jack interrupted. "He's happy and safe and he will remain so but I will not allow his existence to depreciate your happiness."  
  
"You don't understand-"Kat kicked the sand and took off running.  
  
"Katarina." Jack called her name sharply and she slowed to a walk waiting until he caught up with her.  
  
"I am not trying to hurt you." Jack walked with his hands at his sides unable to physically touch her or offer any form of comfort. "But you are only hurting yourself and I do not want that to continue. You can love him, but by constantly yearning for what you can't have, you're destroying yourself." Kat kept her gaze locked on her feet as she walked not wanting to look up at him even for a moment.  
  
"I don't know," she said softly.  
  
"What do you mean?" he pressed her gently.  
  
"I don't know if I feel this way because I love him or because I think I'm supposed to. I don't know if it's what I want, or if it's just what I think I want."  
  
"I don't believe there is a right or a wrong answer to that question." Jack stopped walking as they neared Weiss and he turned Kat to face him. "I'm not asking you to forget him sweetheart. I'm just asking you to put the past behind you. Moving on does not mean you're forgetting him or feeling that he is of any less importance. It gives you the chance to be happy. Your happiness is important to me."  
  
Kat stayed silent, her eyes cast down at the sand.  
  
Leaning down slightly he kissed the top of her head. "We'll talk more when I get back. Be good," he added with a slight smile.  
  
She watched him go. It was the strangest image. Amongst the crowd in bathing suits, shorts, and t-shirts, her father stood in a black suit in a place she would have never expected. She turned back to the ocean blinking the tears from her eyes.  
  
Maybe her father was right. Maybe she would never know if she truly loved him. Falsifying emotions came so naturally to her that sometimes even she couldn't tell the difference, between what was real, and what was not. They were blending together into something she could no longer control and that frightened her. Control had always been her strength; it was what enabled her to survive for all those years. Distance from pure emotions had kept her alive. This confusion that she felt threatened to overwhelm her.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
She flinched at the sound of his voice, but turned and nodded. "Of course."  
  
"Good." Weiss grabbed her suddenly and tossed her over his shoulder. Running into the waves he ignored her laughter and pleas to be put down as he threatened to drop in the surf. Eventually he gave in and set her down in the cool waters. Kat began to walk back but suddenly turned and jumped on Weiss pushing them both into the water. They came up sputtering and spitting out salt water. Laughter filled the air as the two splashed back and forth on the hot mid-July day.  
  
A/N Please give Feedback, good or bad is always appreciated and adored and especially encouraging to write another chapter. Also don't forget to check out Illusion of Sin, it's another fic by me. It's new and I worked really hard on it so I hope you'll like it and please give feedback on it too! Good and bad is really appreciated. Just copy and paste the link Thanks for Reading Erin 


	58. Chapter Fifty Five

Redemption

Chapter Fifty Five

The night was ablaze with coloured lights and musical sounds. It seemed the entire city of Los Angeles was on the pier that night. The smell of popcorn and hot dogs filled the air and the screams of children on the ferris wheel resonated through the night. It was a perfect night for the fair. Or it would have been, had the fifth member of their party not been so depressed.

While Weiss and Carrie argued about the benefits of sitting in the front versus the back of the roller coaster car, Marshall chattered on about the velocity and power of the different rides to no one in particular and Will followed close behind. He glanced back several times to see Kat lagging behind. Her heart was just not into having fun. "Kat, Kat," he called her name several times but she didn't respond. Her mind was elsewhere that night. The others stopped at a hot dog vendor and he waited for Kat to catch up. She nearly walked right into him.

"Katy are you hungry?" Will asked as she regained her bearings.

"No," she shook her head and sat down on a nearby bench.

"You've been pretty quiet tonight," he commented lifting his foot onto the bench to tie his shoe.

"Just tired," she shrugged.

He knew that wasn't it. "The show tomorrow should be great."

"What?" she asked slightly confused and then remembered that she was going to see the musical Chicago with him the next night. Originally he was supposed to go with his girlfriend Christa but they'd broken up the week before and Kat was going with him rather than let the tickets go to waste. "Oh the play sure, I've never seen a real show before."

He nodded and stood upright. "Be right back Katy." He left her on the bench and walked over to the others. "Weiss, what's going on with her?" he asked.

"What makes you think I know?" he said innocently his mouth full of a hot dog.

Will gave him a look. "You always know what's going on with her."

"She is abnormally quiet," Marshall pointed out though it was obvious to everyone there.

"She's going through a rough time." Weiss was evasive. Kat was the only one who could give the reason as to her present condition. With respect to her privacy, it was not his place to divulge any information. "She's adjusting to being back, worried about starting work on Monday and… Kat?" Weiss dropped the hot dog he had been eating and scanned the crowd. The bench where she had been sitting was vacant. "Kat! Kat!" he turned around in a circle searching the crowd for her. She could not be found. He craned his necking looking above the crowd, not that it would have done much good. Kat was smaller than the majority of the people and would have easily been lost. Carrie and Marshall had immediately tossed their hot dogs as well and went in different directions searching for her.

He could feel the panic starting to rise in his chest. He couldn't seem to catch his breath. He'd had her for less than twelve hours and already he'd lost her. Weiss had to wonder if this was the feeling parent's felt when they lost sight of their child in a crowded store or on the beach even for a second. It felt like darkness enveloping his entire being, pulling him down and suffocating him.

"I can't see her anywhere," Carrie returned to the bench where Kat had last been seen. "You don't think someone took her?"

Will shook his head and stood up on the bench to try and see over the crowd of people. "We would have heard something. She has to be here somewhere."

Marshall hurried back to them expressing his lack of luck as well. Kat seemed to have just vanished into thin air.

Weiss pulled out his phone and dialled the CIA number. His finger hovered over the talk button, but he was unable to push it. Mentally he agonized over the choice. On one hand he knew he should. The CIA could have a full team searching for her in less than ten minutes if she'd been taken. On the other, he had a feeling that she was okay and had just wandered off. He pressed the red button ending the call. Kat would never forgive him if he called it in.

"She couldn't have gone far. Do you see anything?" he asked Will who was still standing on the bench searching the crowd.

"No." Will changed directions and glanced down briefly at Weiss. "What game is she playing? Why did she take off?"

"She doesn't always have an ulterior motive Will. I doubt she did it intentionally." He was certain of that. She wandered off and he would bet any money she hadn't even realized she'd done it. Since their meeting with Jack earlier that afternoon she'd been slipping inside herself. Blocking out the outside world and living solely in her mind without speaking to anyone unless forced to. It was how she dealt with pain, by making it impossible for anyone to reach her. He hated when she got like that. It was impossible to know what was going on in her head. She got angry and reckless when in that state of mind. It scared him.

A flash of red caught his eye. No it wasn't her shirt, she was wearing pink. It was a sea of red balloons being held by a vendor on the pier. Immediately he knew where she was.

After spending several hours at the beach, the excitement if being back in LA had vanished and Jack's visit had put a damper on Kat's once good mood. He'd taken Kat back to his apartment where she'd spent the rest of the afternoon drawing red balloons on a pad of paper. It had always amazed him how she could continuously draw the same objects over and over again without losing interest.

Weiss took off pushing through the crowd until he broke free from the mass of people. He stopped short when he saw her purchasing a red helium balloon from the vendor. Perfectly safe not harmed in any way. That was when the fear subsided and the anger set in.

Carrie, Marshall and Will caught up quickly and they watched her with great interest as she handed the balloon to a blond headed youngster of about three or four. He was shabbily dressed in a pair of worn overalls and a ripped t-shirt with a mop of blond curls covering his head. It was clear the child and his mother were homeless or living in very difficult conditions.

"She's fine," Carrie said relieved that they had found her so quickly.

"Of course she is." Weiss was not particularly impressed with the stunt Kat had just pulled whether she'd knowingly done it or not. The little boy happily ran back to his mother, a smile from ear to ear and toting a bright red balloon. She watched him go with a small wave and then walked to one side of the pier looking out over the ocean.

Weiss walked over to her and grabbed her arm roughly turning her around to face him. "Don't ever do that again."

Kat's mouth formed a surprised 'oh' and her fist solidly connected with his jaw. Stunned she ran to the other side of the pier in tears.

Instantly Weiss regretted his actions. She was crying and he'd allowed his anger and fear to overpower his common sense. Rubbing his jaw with the palm of his hand he watched her repeatedly grip the wooden railing with her hands as she tried to control her anger. He turned back to the other three who stared at him in shock. "We'll catch up."

"But Weiss?" Will protested quickly taking a sideways glance at Kat.

"We'll catch up," he repeated firmly and waited until Carrie had pulled the other men away in the direction of the ferris wheel before he approached Kat.

"Kat?" he touched her shoulder and as expected she recoiled from the gesture. "'Shiner come on," he tried again and stepped in front of her so she couldn't back away. "I'm sorry, I should never have yelled at you like that. Kat?"

"Leave me alone."  
  
She caught him off guard with a quick shove. He stumbled back and grabbed the railing to steady himself. Kat's were shut tightly; her cheeks streaked with tears and her breaths came in short shallow gasps.

"I was worried when we couldn't find you." He tried to explain his actions but she was neither listening nor did she care. "I thought maybe someone took you."

"Please Eric, she begged through closed lids. Please. Leave. Me. Alone."

"Come on 'Shiner, this is the game that we play." He stood back slightly in case she decided to hit him again. "You get mad. You yell at me. I tell you everything is going to be okay. We argue and then you know how it will end. "How 'bout we just skip everything in between and get right to the end?

"I just want to be left alone."

She turned the opposite way and tried to make a run for it but Weiss was expecting it and he grabbed her arms pulling her back to him. He ignored the shocked and concerned looks he received from curious onlookers and concentrated on getting Kat under control.

"Kat stop." Weiss narrowly avoided another angry punch directed at his jaw and used it to his advantage to grab her by the waist and haul her back to him. Strong arms encircled her body turning her to face him and holding her tightly against him. "Kat please stop," he requested.

Weiss' arms were locked around her body preventing anything but small movements. Kat tried to wriggle out of his arms, but it was useless. She was trapped. She tried to push and punch her way out of it, but he stood strong. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her breaths came in gasping heaves. Stubbornness eventually evaded her and she surrendered to his strength. Looping her arms around Weiss, she held tight and struggled to keep breathing.

"That's my girl," he said softly rubbing her back. Her face was buried into his chest and his shirt already half soaked with tears. "Let it all out, and just breathe. Cry for him all you want," he whispered in her ear.

She managed to nod in between gasping breaths and his words only made the tears come harder. "Jack says I'm obsessing over him," she said through broken cries.

Inwardly Weiss groaned, 'brilliant Jack, smart move.' "Are you?" he gently asked wiping some tears from her cheek.

"He's all I think about. Constantly. I wonder what he's doing or if he's safe and happy. I dream about him. What he looks like and sounds like, if he likes pre-school and I wonder if maybe he's anything like me."

Her words were muffled into his chest and he had to lean down to hear properly. Her arms were like a vice grip around him and he used the opportunity to rub her shoulders and upper arms until they relaxed slightly giving him some relief. "That's not abnormal 'Shiner. He's your son and you love him-"

"But that's just it," she cried out frustrated and angry. "I don't know if I love him. I don't know if I love him, or if I just feel this way because I think it's how I'm supposed to feel. I don't know if I'm capable of loving anyone."

"Kat-"

"It's true," she defended herself and looked up at him. "Eric I don't know if I love my own son."

"Stop that Kat," Weiss admonished her. "Of course you love him. Love is still even at its most complicated a basic human emotion. Every person on earth has the capacity to love someone and everyone does some just more than others."

"But-"

"You know what I think Shiner," he relaxed his grip on her and leaned his back against the railing. He didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "I think that for the first time since you were child, you're letting down your guards. You're allowing yourself to feel real emotion for the first time in so long and it scares you. If you didn't love him, it wouldn't hurt this much and you wouldn't cry this much. And that's okay. You had no other choice but to give him up. It was the best thing for everyone, but that doesn't mean that you don't love him, or don't want to be with him. Especially today." He looked down feeling her pull away slightly; her eyes were full of surprise and confusion. "Yes 'Shiner, I know exactly what day it is," he said softly and tightened his hold on her when she did the same.

"I can't believe it's been five years. Joshua is five years old today." she whispered and pulled away from him after a few moments. She turned to face the ocean and he followed. Standing directly behind her, he allowed his arms to be pulled over her shoulders and clasped on her chest. It was nearly dark and the last remains of the summer's sunset could be seen over the horizon as they faded into blackness. He felt a splash of moisture on his hands and knew instantly that she was crying again. Even after so many months of knowing her, it still mystified him that she was so comfortable with him. With others she would not allow herself to become this vulnerable, but with him, she let her guard down.

"When I think about it, I can still remember how much it hurt and how scared I was. It felt like this tiny little baby was tearing my body in half," she confessed.

"I thought they put you to sleep?" Weiss asked.

"They did," she clarified. "Only it was too late." She waited a few moments to gather her thoughts before continuing and telling him the whole story. He'd heard bits and pieces before but never the full version in her own words. "I was too young, too physically immature and too small to have him. The doctors knew that from the beginning. When I went into labour, I was stupid. It was too early and I was so scared. I just wanted it to stop so I pretended like it wasn't happening. What I did could have killed him," she admitted shamefully.

"At the time I was living in this group home for pregnant teenagers and I missed dinner. By the time someone came up to check on me, I was too far-gone for the doctors to try to stop the labour and keep him inside me. They took me to the hospital and I wouldn't let them touch me until Arvin came." She looked up at Weiss seeing the dark look cross his face at the mention of Arvin Sloane. "I know you don't like him and he's done horrible, terrible things to others, and to me. But back then, he was all I had. He was my knight in shining armour. He always made everything okay. When he got there, the baby was so close. They gave me something to stop the labour to do a c-section because I was too small and it hurt so badly. It was too late and what they gave me didn't work. I was so tired and all the different medications were putting me to sleep, but I had him. I was awake the whole time. I remember hearing him cry a little and the nurse took him right out, I never saw him. It hurt more than I could ever say and right after he was born they gave me something else and I was asleep." Her hands abandoned his for a moment as she wiped away angry tears and then rested on her stomach rubbing it slightly as she remember what it had felt to have a baby inside of her.

"I needed surgery to repair what was broke. He's why I can't have any more kids. I was too young, too small, too damaged and having him hurt me. I waited too long. When I woke up, that's when Arvin told me the baby died. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to feeling some relief. I was thirteen years old, I wasn't supposed to have a baby. I spent the first week of its life believing that my selfishness and my stupidity had killed my child. Finally Arvin told me the truth. My baby had been adopted and that I didn't have to worry any longer. By having him, I ruined my chances of ever having another child. It was my fault. If I hadn't waited so long when I went into labour, I might have been able to prevent the damage. It's probably best this way anyway. I couldn't be a very good mother, either to Joshua or another child."

"Kat, that's not true-"

"Over time, you'd think I'd have given up, but I haven't." Kat interrupted him and leaned back against Weiss feeling very protected in his arms as she relived a horrible nightmare. "I think about him every day. I wonder what he looks like, sounds like, acts like, what he likes to do, what he likes to eat, his favourite colour, everything."

"It's not uncommon Kat, he's a part of you. You won't ever forget him. I think you'd be a really great mom." His hands moved up and rubbed her shoulders gently as he spoke. "I think your dad is right too. By moving on with your life, you're not forgetting him, but it will make remembering him less painful."

"I'm afraid of forgetting him," she admitted.

"I promise you won't." Weiss turned her around to face him. He used the pad of his thumb to wipe the residual tears from her cheeks. "I know you won't allow yourself to forget, but I'll make sure you remember anyway." He hugged her quickly threading her hair through his fingers. He pulled away smiling at her. "I have an idea."

"What?" She asked curiously.

"Write him a letter, two letters, three, as many as you want and tell him everything you want to. Tell him how much you love him. How much you care about him. Tell him the truth. Why you gave him up, how he came to be in this world. Tell him anything you want and maybe someday when he's grown up, he can read those letters and know how much you love him. What do you think?"

"I think that maybe I'd like to try." She smiled slowly as she thought more about Eric's suggestion. "I do want to be happy and my father is right. When I think about Joshua, I'm not happy, because I miss him and I've never even seen him. When I think about him, it's like I can't think about anything else. I feel like there is this hole inside me and I'm drowning or suffocating and I get angry and mean. I say things I don't mean. Do things I shouldn't. Hit people-" Gently she ran her fingers along his jawline grimacing slightly. "I'm sorry."

"No sweat." Weiss smiled as he pulled her hair back away her face. She was finally being honest with herself and that was the important thing. "I think you're making the right decision and I'll help you however I can."

"You always know what to do, or what to say. You know, you'd make a good head shrink," a smile played across her lips. "You could give Barnett a real run for her money."

He laughed. "Nah I just know you. I think I'll keep my psychiatric counselling to eighteen year olds who like to hit me."

"I am sorry." Her face blushed crimson red at the memory of the solid punch she'd landed squarely to his jaw fifteen minutes earlier.

"I was just teasing," he grinned although his jaw hurt like proper words could not describe. "Wait here a minute," he instructed.

She nodded and watched him walk away before turning back to the endless ocean. The warm breeze flitted through her hair and she lifted the mass of curls off her neck for some momentary relief from the heat. The night was black with a bright half moon and millions of stars decorating the heavens.

__

Somewhere out there  
Beneath the pale moonlight  
Someone's thinking of you  
And loving you tonight

Weiss suddenly appeared over her shoulder pointing out at the open sky. "Look, make a wish."

Following his gaze she saw the falling star travelling across the blackened sky and closed her eyes making a wish. "The stars out here, are almost as bright as the lights in Manhattan," she said with a wistful smile. She did miss her home, and her life back in the city, but there was no way she'd ever trade her life now for it.

Turning around she saw Weiss smiling and holding something behind his back. To her surprise he produced a bright red balloon and handed her the string.

__

Somewhere out there  
Someone's saying a prayer  
That we'll find one another  
In that big somewhere out there

"I'd like to think his favourite colour is red," she explained taking the string and winding it around her index finger.

"I know."

"Do you think—could I have a few minutes by myself?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course. I'll wait for you at the bench." Bringing his hands up he tucked her hair behind her ears and framed her face. Her hands reached up covering his. His thumbs brushed away any remnants of tears from beneath her eyes. Leaning down his lips kissed both her cheeks and then her forehead. "It is good to have you home Kid."

She closed her eyes as he kissed her skin and opened them when he spoke. She watched him go. His voice was quiet, honest and gentle. It was the voice that lulled her to sleep after she woke screaming and the one who always told her that everything would be all right. He seemed to have a kind of faith in her that she could not find in herself.

He was right; it was the game they played. She didn't want to play that game anymore. She didn't want to hurt him anymore. Perhaps she took him for granted. He was always there, no matter what she'd done or said, he kept coming back for more. She didn't deserve a friend like him. But he was always there and she was determined to pay him back for it.

Holding tight to the balloon she walked the horizontal length of the pier trailing her fingertips across the worn railing and just thinking, about everything. She thought of the things she would tell Joshua. She'd have to be selective about what she told him. There were things that could not be explained in a letter. Even though he'd probably never read them, she'd write with the hope that some day he would.

__

And even though I know how very far apart we are  
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star  
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby  
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Holding the balloon in her right hand, she leaned against the railing and raised her hand towards the sky. "Happy Birthday Joshua," she whispered allowing the ribbon to thread through her fingers until it was free. She watched unblinking until the bright red balloon was a mere speck and disappeared from her view as it was caught in a breeze pulling out over the ocean.

She turned and walked over to the bench where Weiss sat, determined to have fun for the rest of the night. As she approached she saw he was talking to Will and their conversation ended abruptly as soon as she spotted.

"Hey," Will stood as she neared them. "Are you alright?"

She glanced quickly at Weiss before answering. "No." A smile passed her lips and she nodded at Weiss in a silent thank you. "But I will be." Taking their hands she pulled them away from the bench. "Come on, let's go have some fun."

__

Somewhere out there  
If love can see us through  
Then we'll be together  
Somewhere out there  
Out where dreams  
Come true

Kat adjusted the strap of her sandal before sliding out of Will's car, already regretting that she'd chosen the navy blue ones with the heel. She hated heels. "Are you sure I'm not dressed alright for this show?" she asked taking note of Will's slightly less formal appearance as he slammed her car door shut. She glanced down at the dress, Sydney had insisted she buy her during one of their early shopping expeditions. It was a navy blue silk print with spaghetti straps and black ribbon crisscrossing the front and tying in the back. It ended mid calf and flattered her figure quite nicely. Her hair hung loose and curled with the side and front pieces twisted back and held by a clip.

"I'm positive," Will took her hand. "You look very pretty."

"I've just never been to a real show before," she explained.

"Seriously?" he was surprised having thought that she'd have been to many while living in the city. After thinking about it for a moment he wanted to kick himself. She may have been living in the city that never slept, but she'd started out on her own as a fifteen year old kid finishing high school three years early and working as a waitress barely earning enough money to cover her rent.

Kat looked up at the un-illumintaed sign on the building that read Francine's. "Is it weird being back here?" she asked seeing the slightly pained look on his face.

"Not weird, just difficult. I'm glad Amy is going to open it up again though. It's what Francie would have wanted."

"Are you sure she's here?" Kat eyed the barren parking lot and darkened restaurant.

"Yeah, I'm sure she's just parked around back. She said the front door would be open. I just need to drop off these papers and then we'll go to the show." Will tucked the file folder under his arm and pulled out the front door which was indeed unlocked as promised.

"Oww." Kat cried out as she banged her knee on a sturdy wood object. "Will, where's the light, I can't see anything?" she stretched her arms out in front of her searching for something to hold on to.

"SURPRISE!"

A/Nà

The song used was Somewhere Out There and I appologize I have no idea who the original lyricist for the song was. Also I can't remember if Francie's restaurant was ever given a name, so if I'm wrong, please let me know!  
Feedback has been kinda slow lately so I might hold off on posting the next chapter for a little.

Review Replies  
Alia-- Sorry there won't be a sydney/vaughn wedding in this fic but maybe the sequel!

Eyghon-- I'm happy you found my story and liked it so much. It's always exciting to get new readers when your on Chapter 50. I really enjoyed writing the chapter with Kat and Irina in St. Petersburg. It was fun to write because Kat was a total witch (with good reason mind you lol) I tried to e-mail you for the update for Illusion of Sin but your mail box was full so my e-mail was returned. I think if you use the add author to favorites function, you'll receive e-mails when I update. JJ???? Guess you'll have to keep reading!

Agent Flamingo-- You said you figured out what day it was and who Jack and Kat were talking about in the previous chapter, were you right?

Landi/Anna/Mbells thank you as always for reading!


	59. Chapter Fifty Six

A/Nà Hey everyone, finally an update for Redemption. I'm sorry for the delay but it was unavoidable of course. Someone very close to me died very suddenly last week and it was a big shock that took a lot of time to deal with and I ask everyone to PLEASE drive carefully.

This chapter is a little longer than usual because of the songs but I hope you enjoy it anyways as there are a lot of little things that happen.

Redemption

Chapter Fifty Six

"Surprise!"

Kat stood completely rigid as she quickly surveyed the medium sized crowd. They all seemed to be waiting in anticipation. She took in the banners and balloons proclaiming surprise and happy birthday and was decidedly sure that there must have been a mistake.

"Happy birthday Kat," Will leaned around her and kissed her cheek.

"What's going on?" She asked looking completely bewildered. Sydney, Vaughn and Weiss stood at the front surrounded by coworkers and a few friends. She noticed Jack standing off to the side looking slightly out of place.

Will didn't get a chance to answer as an excited Sydney rushed up to them followed by Vaughn and a slightly less enthused Jack.

"Happy Birthday Katy," Sydney enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I thought you were out of town," Kat responded softly managing to give Sydney a small hug in return.

"That was just to get you out of the house so this would be a surprise," Vaughn explained.

"Happy birthday sweetheart," Jack kissed her cheek gently.

"But it's not my birthday," Kat said softly shaking her head at him. "My birthday was two months ago."

"No," Jack corrected. "Your mother changed the date on your birth certificate. Your actual 18th birthday is tomorrow. "

"Oh," Kat seemed genuinely surprised. She looked around the room slow smile spreading across her face. "This is so cool," she said slowly. "I've never had a birthday party before."

"Seriously?" Will seemed awestruck at the thought.

"You're pleased?"

"Of course," Kat responded and turned to hug Jack quickly. "Thanks Dad."

"It was Sydney's idea," he replied gruffly stepping back.

"And I'm sure you had nothing to do with it," she smiled knowingly and turned to greet her guests.

"Eric!" she hugged Weiss excitedly.

"Happy Birthday 'Shiner." Weiss grinned and picked her up, spinning her around slightly.

"Did you know?"

"Of course," he laughed. "What do you think I've been doing all day." He smiled watching her. She was so excited to be having a real birthday party. "Hey there's someone I want you to meet." He gestured to a woman in her late twenties that Kat had never seen before. Weiss took the woman's' hand, tugging her over to stand beside him. "Kat, this is my girlfriend Lisa. She's a senior analyst at the office. Lisa this is Kat."

Jack was close enough to hear the conversation and he saw the smile freeze on Kat's lips. The easily disguised shock and almost disbelief flashed across her face and he could see the hurt in her eyes. She'd never seen it coming. It surprised him to see the hurt. After all, his daughter and Agent Weiss were only friends, but if that were the case then why had she looked so stunned. Being the person that she was her lips parted into a gracious smile and she shook Lisa's extended hand. Agent Weiss was too caught up in his new girlfriend to distinguish the deceitfulness in Kat's features that he was usually able to identify to easily.

Jack slowly inched his way towards the door. He hadn't wanted to come. Being surrounded with coworkers in a non-working setting was not his ideal cup of tea. He didn't think that Kat would even want him at her party. He'd almost made it to the door when she called his name.

"You're not leaving are you?"

"Katarina-"

"Because I want you here," she looked at him hopefully.

"I didn't think you would-"

"This is about yesterday, at the beach." Kat nodded in comprehension and closed the distance between them lowering her voice as she spoke. "I'm not mad at you if that's what you think. I mean I was angry – upset, but you were right. About Joshua, I know you're right and I'm going to try."

If Jack was surprised he didn't show it. "I'm pleased."

"There's something else." Kat took his arm slowly leading him back to the party, which was already in full swing. "I love him. He's my son and I love him, I know I do. I just wanted you to know that. I care about him, just like I care about Sydney and Vaughn, Will, Eric, Marshall and Carrie and Baby Kate. And you." Kat eyed Jack nervously, unsure of exactly how he would react. "This is all new to me. Caring about people, about their well being. It's confusing, but I kinda like it. Please stay Dad?" Kat turned to face him, a pleading look on her face. "Just for a little while? At least until after cake and I open my presents?" she requested eyeing the medium sized pile of brightly wrapped gifts on a nearby table. Never before had she seen such a sight meant for her.

"Alright," he agreed. "I'll stay."

"Thank you."

The smile on her face was thanks enough. Katarina was pulled away from him in order to greet more party guests and Jack found himself pulled into a conversation with Marshall and Carrie, though Marshall did most of the talking. Jack stood off to the side with a glass of scotch in hand watching Sydney and Katarina only half paying attention to Marshall and Carrie until he unknowingly became the lucky recipient to hold Baby Kate while the two took an awkward round on the dance floor. He sighed inwardly, what had possessed the two to bring their baby to the party was a mystery to him.

Weiss nearly spit out his soda when he'd caught sight of Jack standing in the corner holding the nearly five month old baby who was swatting at his face with a chubby hand trying desperately to grab hold of his nose.

"Syd." Weiss grabbed her arm as she was passing by and directed her attention to her father.

"Oh my," Sydney covered her mouth stifling a laugh at the sight of her father and Baby Kate. "How on earth did Carrie, manage to pull that one off?"

"You know Carrie, I think she's the only one in the office who's not intimidated by your father." The two sat down at a nearby table. "Syd, there's something that I can't seem to get out of my head." Weiss looked around to make sure no one was listening and he lowered his voice. "Joshua's birthday was yesterday and Katy's is tomorrow. That means that when he was born, she was only twelve. I know it's only what, a two month difference from when we thought her birthday was, but it sounds so much better when she was thirteen-"

"Weiss stop." Sydney leaned her elbows on the table and sighed. "I know what you're saying, but I really don't want to think about it. It's hard enough to know that my little sister has a child at all, but at that age-"

"You've never really talked to her about him have you?" Weiss interrupted noting the pained look on her face.

"I don't know what to say to her." Sydney admitted. "And it's not as if she's exactly forthcoming about him either."

"You haven't told Vaughn have you-"

"Eric, I can't tell him. We can't tell anyone about Joshua. And Katy doesn't want anyone-"

"I think she'd understand. Syd you can't keep this--- Hi Kat."

"Hi." There was no available chair at the table so Kat perched on Weiss' lap unaware of what the two had been talking about. "Syd, did you see Dad and Kate?"

"Yeah," Sydney laughed and turned to look at Jack who now had the baby standing on his legs. Kate was bouncing around as best she could on her chubby legs while Jack held onto her hands. "I don't think I've seen Dad hold a baby… ever."

"Lisa seems nice," Kat interrupted choosing her words carefully as Will pulled up a chair beside Sydney.

"Yeah," Weiss' face brightened at the mention of his new girlfriend. "She's great isn't she?"

"Are you guys… serious?"

"I think so," he nodded happily. "Just wait till you get to know her Kat, you'll love her."

"I'm sure I will." Kat smiled politely, but her lack of enthusiasm to do so was not missed amongst the other two occupants of the table. She stood to go but two large hands covered her eyes. "Who is it?" Kat asked laughing but the owner of the hands did not respond. "Alright, I'll guess," she smiled and began to list all the non-possibilities while feeling the hands. "Definitely a guy. Not my dad because he'd never do this. The fingers are too skinny, so it's not Marshall and there's no ring on the right hand so it's not Mike… Come on," she pleaded. "I give up who is it? Give me a clue?"

"Hi Baby," came a semi quiet whisper in her ear.

"JJ?" Kat asked excitedly and his hands were removed from her eyes in response.

"Hi Baby," JJ Cruz gave her a tight hug lifting her off the ground momentarily.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to Portland?"

JJ shrugged, "I was transferred here instead. I'll be working at the task force with you."

"Whoa, wait a sec," Will interrupted. "Did you just call her Baby? And she didn't slug you for it?"

"Yes," JJ replied confused. "Why would she hit me, that's what we always called her."

"What do you mean?" Will asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"JJ no." Kat's cheeks were gradually turning a deep red.

"What's going on?" Vaughn pulled another chair up to the table. "Why does Kat look like a tomato?"

"JJ called her baby," Sydney filled in.

Vaughn was surprised knowing that Kat was not one to tolerate names of such meaning. "And she didn't hit you?"

"No," JJ shook his head. "We always called her that at The Farm. One night we watched Dirty Dancing-"

"JJ, no," Kat warned him, her cheeks flaming.

JJ just laughed unable to pass up the opportunity. "Let's just say from then on she was Baby. She was the youngest and the smallest, but damn she could whip your ass."

"Want to find out?" Kat challenged him.

"I'm not threatened by you," he laughed. "Remember the nightclub?"

"Don't!" Kat moved to cover his mouth with her hands but he pried them away.

"What nightclub?" Will asked leaning into the table.

"We were doing our first undercover exercises. Kat was a singer and she performed at the club. When it came time for interrogation, she was the only one who stuck to their story without any discrepancies." As JJ relayed the story he continued to fight off Kat's hands and her attempts to cover his mouth. "Haven't you ever heard her sing?" he asked surprised.

"No," Sydney shook her head realizing that they hadn't ever heard Kat sing even though it had been her job before she came to LA.

JJ had finally managed to grab hold of Kat's hands and pull them firmly but not painfully behind her back. "Well you're missing out," he said praiseful. "This Baby, is a musical genius. She knew the words and melody to any song the interrogators threw at her and they tested at least thirty different songs I believe."

"You are so dead Cruz."

Sydney laughed watching Kat interact with JJ. Like Weiss, he seemed to bring out the child in her.

"Katarina, is everything alright?" Jack approached the group.

"I suppose that depends on your definition of alright," Kat glared at Will who had been the creator of the current situation.

"I see." Jack, who was still holding a squirming Baby Kate with ease, surveyed the group and then took great delight in depositing the infant in Vaughn's lap.

"Thank you, thank you Jack." Vaughn sighed and awkwardly settled the baby in his lap who wasn't exactly pleased with her change of location.

"You know what I think," Will interrupted. "That as payment for throwing her this fabulous surprise party, Katy should entertain us all."

"I don't think so," Kat shook her head firmly.

"Why not Katy? You love to sing?" Sydney questioned. "Everyone would love it."

"Sydney, if she doesn't want to-" Jack began.

"Oh she does, this girl loves to perform." JJ took the opportunity to grab Kat by the waist and sling her over his shoulder and carry her towards a small stage set up where a band comprised of CIA analysts was playing. The band ended mid song when JJ deposited her onto the stage. "Who wants to hear Kat sing?" he shouted to the crowd.

Numerous cheers and chants broke through the partygoers and Kat had no choice but to go along with their requests. She turned to the band to pick a song but not before sending JJ an evil glance. "I'm going to get you for this."

"I'm scared," he laughed and kissed her cheek. "Have fun Baby."

JJ made his way back to the table and sat next to Will. "I can't believe you just did that," Will said. "You do realize that your life span has just been significantly shortened. Kat is going to kill you."

"No she won't," JJ shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "She loves the stage. You guys are in for a real treat."

Jack sat down and concentrated his attention on his daughter. He drummed his fingertips on the table as he watched Kat confer with the band. He felt someone cover his hand with their own and looked up to Sydney.

"She's fine dad. Don't worry," Sydney gave him a smile and turned to face the stage as the music began.

__

I need love, love to ease my mind

I need to find, find someone to call mine

But Mama said

You can't hurry love

Oh you'll just have to wait

She said love don't come easy

It's a game of give and take

You can't hurry love, no you'll just have to wait

You gotta just give it time

No matter how long it takes

Jack watched his daughter perform a hint of smile on his face. She was good. She was very good and she thoroughly seemed to enjoy performing. It was no wonder she'd finally agreed to a record contract just before her disappearance from New York. After only the first verse everyone at the party was clapping along to the beat. JJ Cruz had been correct. She loved the stage and five songs later she stated the next to be her last.

As the melody began Jack recognized the song immediately. It was a soft haunting melody and Sydney took a seat next to him holding Baby Kate in her lap.

__

I've got money in my pocket

I like the color of my hair

I've got a friend who loves me

Got a house, I've got a car

I've got a good sister

And her voice is what keeps me here

Feet on ground

Heart in hand

Facing forward

Be yourself

I've never wanted anything

No I've, no I've, I've never wanted anything

So bad, so bad

Sydney recognized the song as well and Jack noted her surprise at Katarina's replacement of the word mother. She was clearly making a statement and the implications of it were known only to Jack and Sydney.

__

Cardboard masks of all the people

I've been

Thrown out with all the rusted, tangled

Dented God Damned miseries

You could say I'm hard to hold

But if you knew me you'd know

I've got a good father

And his strength is what makes me cry

Feet on ground

Heart in hand

Facing forward

Be yourself

I've never wanted anything

No I've, no I've, I've never wanted anything

So bad, so bad

As Sydney watched her sister on the stage and listened to her voice it was impossible not to be affected by the words. While most would think it just another song, those closest to her sister would understand that it was so much more than that. She seemed to be making peace. To be making promises hidden amongst words that separate had no meaning, but together created so much more. It was a song of acceptance. Acceptance of her family and of herself. And it was a song of thanks to those who had risked their lives to protect her and a declaration that their losses would not be in vain. It was a decision that for the first time in her young life, Katarina was finally going to live in all sense of the word.

As the song was drawing to a close Sydney wiped the tears from her eyes. She leaned over to her father and Baby Kate latched onto his jacket. With a sigh Jack pulled Kate to him and the infant immediately snuggled into his chest. Sydney held back a laugh at her fathers annoyed expression. It was quite clear which of the Bristows little Kate preferred. "Dad, do you think Katy hates mom as much as she says?"

Jack considered her question for a few moments before replying. "I think your sister is still trying to understand how her mother, how any mother for that matter, could willingly abandon her child and allow her to lead the kind of life that Katarina was forced to live. In that aspect she sees bits of your mother in herself and that scares her. Your mother gave her up and she gave him up. Her fear is that someday she might turn out to be like Irina. It's not so much hate that Katarina feels for your mother but confusion. How could she have ever have loved a woman like that. I don't condone what Irina Derevko did Sydney but I understand the lengths she would go to, to keep your sister away from the KGB and the subsequent groups that followed. Katarina sees your mother as the epitome of everything that she doesn't want, and everything that she does want and that scares her. Perhaps someday…" his voice trailed off never finishing the sentence and leaving Sydney with more questions than answers.

__

I've got money in my pocket

I like the color of my hair

I've got a friend who loves me

Got a house, I've got a car

I've got a good father

And his voice is what keeps me here

Feet on ground

Heart in hand

Facing forward

Be yourself

Heart in hand

Feet on ground

Facing forward

Be yourself

Just be yourself

"Sydney," Jack looked over to her as the final notes were played and Kat lowered the microphone. "I think it's time for cake."

"You're right," she nodded and asked Will and Vaughn to get the cake. Sydney laughed watching Kat perform several curtsies and thank the band before stepping off the edge. Sydney put an arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick hug. "You were wonderful."

"Thanks," Kat grinned squeezing her back. "I forgot how much I loved doing that."

"So you're not going to kill JJ?"

"Nah, I'll let him live… for now."

Sydney began leading Kat to a table near the center of the restaurant. "So you like JJ right, you get along well and everything?"

"Yeah sure, he's great," Kat nodded.

"He's cute-Oww Kat?" Sydney glared at her sister and rubbed the arm that Kat had just grabbed, pulling her to a deserted area of the restaurant. "What's wrong?"

"He's cute? Sydney what's going on?"

Sydney crossed her arms over her chest. "I just meant that he's cute, he's near your age, you're going to be spending quite a bit of time working together and you get along well. Maybe you might get along really really well."

Kat opened her mouth to respond but no words came. She looked around to ensure no one was listening and lowered her voice. "Sydney, JJ and I- never happening, not even a chance."

"Why not?" Sydney protested. "I have it on good authority that he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"That's because he has a boyfriend-" Kat interrupted.

"What?"

Kat lowered her voice to a quiet whisper. "You can't tell anyone, he's starting a new job, he wants to be accepted. Syd, JJ is gay."

"Oh."

"I know it's not obvious, but that's just the way he is."

"Okay," Sydney nodded. "I just thought he'd be perfect for you."

"He would be," Kat grinned. "If he weren't gay and I actually wanted to be involved with someone. I'm just not ready for that. I don't know when or if I ever will be."

"You will be," Sydney nodded confidently and placed the plastic jeweled party tiara she'd been holding in her right hand on Kat's head. "Time for cake."

"Real cake?"

"Well, your piece is almost real," Sydney shrugged. "Sorry Katy. I tried for the good stuff for you too but dad wouldn't let me, you know he watches your sugar intake like a hawk."

"He doesn't trust me," Kat shrugged disappointed. A moment later the lights were dimmed and a loud rendition complete with Will's off key singing of Happy Birthday was sung by all, with the exception of Jack of course. As the clapping continued Kat took a deep breath and blew out all the candles in one shot.

As the cake was being cut and served, Kat dove into the presents with excitement, reading each card aloud and thanking each giver. From Marshall and Carrie, she received a one of a kind, custom made, complete with a Marshall superman logo, electronic journal and from Will, as a sort of a joke gift- an easy bake oven as she was forbidden to touch any appliance in anyone's kitchen. There were many gift certificates from those at work. From Weiss, Kat received a beautiful stationary set consisting of an engraved fountain pen, hundreds of sheets of embossed ivory paper and envelopes, blue ribbons and a velvet lined, hand carved box. She thanked him knowing exactly what his intentions were behind the gift. Vaughn's gift was Kings themed, his affection for the game having rubbed off onto Kat as well.

"Who's this from?" Kat wondered aloud unwrapping a heavy box. No one admitted to it being from him or her and she shrugged it off continuing to tear the wrapping from the mysterious gift.

"Oh my god," Sydney intake of breath did not go unnoticed as Kat lifted the heavy object from the box.

"Careful." Jack's hands immediately cupped his daughters steadying Kat's trembling hands as they lowered the gift onto an empty space on the table.

"It's beautiful," Amy Tippin remarked. "It's a Faberge carousel."

"Who gave this to me?" Kat asked softly staring at the ornate creation, but again no one responded and she placed it back in the box closing the lid. "What next?"

"Here, this is from Dad and I," Sydney passed Kat a small box.

"Another one?" Kat protested. "You've already given me too much."

"Just open it," Sydney instructed with a glance at her father.

Kat unwrapped the small box and was surprised at its contents. She pulled out a key that was hung on a string. "What is it for?"

"You'll find out later," Sydney responded mysteriously and took the key from her slipping the string over her Kat's head.

The key was quickly forgotten amidst the other gifts Kat received and soon the night was winding down. True to his word Jack had stayed for the entire party despite any hidden discomfort he may have felt.

"Katarina, it's late." Jack lay a hand on her shoulder as he spoke interrupting her conversation with Sydney, Vaughn and Will. "We should get home."

"No-"

"Dad's right," Sydney stood and gave her sister a quick hug and a kiss. "Happy Birthday, we'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks Syd, this party was really great." Kat hugged Will and Vaughn as well before bidding everyone else goodnight and walking with her father out of the restaurant.

"Katarina, are you alright?" Jack asked watching her out of the corner of his eye as he pulled out of the parking lot as she shifted in her seat.

"Yes, just tired," she nodded and lifted the shoulder strap of the seatbelt over her head to keep it from cutting into her neck. "Thank you for my party, it was really great. I've never had a real birthday before."

"What about with your mother?" Jack asked curious to know if she remembered any of her birthdays with her mother.

"It was only ever Irina and I. Except for my fifth birthday when we were in Russia, there was a party, the night Alexander showed me The Contessa."

"Have you remembered anything more from your time in Russia?" Jack asked cautiously not wanting to ruin the night for her by bringing up too much of her past.

"No, Jack I don't want to thi-" she stopped suddenly and Jack was sure that she had remembered something more.

"Yes?"

"Just a name," Kat turned to stare out the window avoiding the occasional gaze Jack cast upon her as he drove. "Mishca. Does that mean anything to you?" she asked.

"I'll look into it."

Kat yawned loudly and Jack glanced over at her. She was struggling to stay awake. "Are we going back to your apartment?" she asked curiously not recognizing her surroundings.

Jack was silent for several moments before answering. He looked over at Kat to find her already asleep, her head resting against the window. "No, we're going home," he whispered and gently brushed her hair back from her face.

Jack quietly closed his car door and went around to the other side carefully opening the passenger side. His daughter was still asleep, her body turned and curled slightly in her seat. He reached across her and unsnapped her safety belt. Kat didn't stir as Jack lifted her into his arms and held her close to his chest. Instinctively in her sleep, Kat slipped her arms around his neck. Jack left the car door open and stepped onto the narrow brick lined path. He was about to step onto the porch when he heard someone call his name. 'Damn', he sighed inwardly and turned to the street.

"Dad?"

At the sound of a stranger's Kat woke tightening her grip around his neck. Her eyes blinked open adjusting to the dim porch light. She looked at him confused, her eyes full of questions. "It's alright," Jack whispered softly in her ear and slowly set her to the ground.

"Mr. Bristow is that you?"

"Dad what's going on? Where are we?"

Jack detected a slight quiver of fear and her voice, which only agitated him even more. Things were not going according to his plans. "Yes, hello Mrs. Fields."

The elderly neighbor, Mrs. Fields, who had been taking her little dog out to do his business when Jack drove up, walked up the driveway. "I almost can't believe it's you, with all the activity in the past day I assumed the house had finally been sold. Who is this?" she inquired gesturing to Kat who was leaning heavily against Jack, still half-asleep.

"No I didn't sell it." 'Not that it's any of your business,' he added inwardly. He brought his hands up to Kat's shoulders squeezing them lightly. "This is my daughter Katarina."

"If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn she was your little Sydney again. I wasn't aware you had another daughter-"

"Mrs. Fields," Jack interrupted impatiently. "It is quite late and my daughter is very tired, perhaps we can continue this another day." Jack turned Kat and himself in the opposite direction and gently pushed her towards the front door of the house. She tried to open the door but it was locked. "Use your key," Jack suggested and she did, taking the brass colored key from around her neck, Kat found that it was a perfect fit. As they stepped inside the entryway he added one more thought. "Welcome home."

Jack had to nudge Kat inside the hallway in order to close and lock the front door. She stood still for a few moments and then slowly walked around in a circle taking everything in. Finally she turned to Jack, "I don't understand."

"This is your home," he said simply. "This is where you belong. Come with me."

Jack took her hand and gently pulled her towards the stairs. As they walked up the stairs Kat held tight to the white banister and noticed the pictures on the wall. Pictures of Sydney as a child growing up, and several of Sydney and herself including a few hand drawn images that Jack must have found in her portfolio. "This is Sydney's home, where she grew up-"

"Now this is your home." Jack stopped her at the top of the stairs, at the first door on the right. "You don't belong on a pullout in my office, you belong here." Jack opened the door to Kat's bedroom and turned on the light. Her eyes grew wide as she studied the newly decorated room. "We'll change anything you don't like."

"No it's perfect," Kat was breathless; everything was exactly what she would have wanted.

"Sydney did it," Jack explained.

"Thank you." Kat turned to Jack and hugged him tightly. "I've never had a real home before. Thank you Daddy,"

Jack kissed the top of her head, "I'm sorry it took so long. Why don't I show you the rest of the house?"

Kat held onto his hand tightly has he gave her the grand tour. There were quite a few surprises for her including her own office on the third floor and the instruments Jack had retrieved from New York. In the living room sat an old baby grand piano and Kat immediately sat on the bench in front of it upon entering the room. Jack sat beside her and lifted the lid.

"Will you play something?"

She thought for a moment before the sweet sound of Moonlight Sonata began echoing through the house. She played the score from memory, without sheet music and with her eyes closed. Suddenly she stopped and her hands stilled over the keys.

"I know who sent the carousel," she said softly not looking at Jack. "It was Irina. I used to have one when I was little but it broke." Jack put an arm around her shoulders and Kat leaned against his side resting her head on his shoulder. "Why does she do this?"

Jack kissed her temple and rubbed her right shoulder gently. "I know it is difficult to understand and I cannot explain nor condone her actions but Katarina, your mother does love you."

"Then why won't she just leave me alone."

It was more of a wish or desire than a question and Jack didn't have an answer for her. Irina always worked and did things in her own way, in her own time.

"If I ask you a question, will you promise to tell me the truth? No lies or half truths or aversions. I want the truth."

Hesitantly Jack nodded his acceptance.

"When I first came into your life, did you hate me?"

"Katarina," he sighed heavily.

"Did you hate me?"

"I'd known that your mother had slept with other men after she left Sydney and I, but in my eyes you proof of that." Jack began speaking quietly unsure of exactly where he was headed but his daughter had asked for the truth. After Irina came back into our lives I'd felt that despite the deception on both our parts, Sydney was the undeniable bond between us that no other man could ever have with her what I did. She validated the deception and the lies. When you came, that idea was shattered and my feelings towards you… I felt threatened. Laura and I had Sydney on the basis of a lie, but you were the truth that another man shared the bond of a child with her. I was harsh with you, I thought somehow that it must have been a ploy of your mothers and that you were not as innocent as you appeared to be. I was threatened by you, that somehow you could destroy the tie I held with Sydney and that by accepting you she…There were brief moments when feelings of hate and dislike towards you were consuming. But they were brief and I quickly realized that I could not hold you responsible for your mothers actions."

Kat nodded slowly, she had asked for the truth and she'd gotten it. "There were times when I hated you as well." Kat lifted her head off his shoulder and turned to look at him. "I was jealous of you, of Sydney. I wanted to hate you because you were everything that I never had and everything I always wanted." Kat traced an abstract design on his palm as she studied the crevices and lines wondering if they were the same as hers. "I know I'm not exactly the easiest person to take care of, or even to care about but…

Jack wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her close tucking the top of her head under his chin. "I didn't start caring about you, or loving you just because Irina revealed that you were mine. You already had me."

Kat smiled slightly. "Me too." Her hands returned to the ivory keys but did not play. "Thank you for everything. For my party, for the truth, for trusting me, believing in me, for Oliver, for my room, my sister, my home, for my life." Kat turned, kissed his cheek, leaned her head on his shoulder and the sounds of Moonlight Sonata, even more beautiful than before, wafted through the warm night air.

A/N I hope you liked. Its just a little fluffy chapter in preparation for the big stuff that is to come, starting next chapter!!!!! Kat comes face to face with a person from her past and the outcome is not at all desired.

Song Credits for this Chapter are You Can't Hurry Love by Diana Ross & Good Mother by Jann Arden


	60. Chapter Fifty Seven

Review Replies for the last chapter

Sorry for the long wait. I want to thank everyone. That was the most amount of reviews I have ever received for one chapter and I didn't even think it was very good lol. Anyway here are the review replies and then the next NEW chapter of Redemption.

The Contessa-That's hillarious how incredibly ironic, I love your screen name. The guy from the mission in Spain is Aidan MacGreggor (I had to change his name for future plotlines) You don't like Weiss? Awwww.

Grouchy—I hope you enjoy the next chapter

Agent Flamingo—I adored writing the Jack and Baby Kate snippets. It is just so uncharacteristic of Jack but Carrie well she's not afraid of anyone lol. And I took great delight in writing the part where Jack dropped the Baby in Weiss' lap. And Lisa, oh lisa lol. Glad you liked and thank you.

Eyghon—Yes JJ is gay. He would be perfect for her if he wasn't gay lol. I'm sorry this chapter took so long, it was giving me a lot of grief. I'm curious, who did you think was the person from Kat's past? She is complicated. Being happy seems to only be an occaisional state for her.

Derevko-Bristow Spawn—Sorry this one took so long but I hope you like it!

Alllieee—Thank you for the compliment that means a lot as that is exactly what she is supposed to be. A creation of good and bad lol. Hope you like the next chapter

Majesticness—Yes JJ is gay sadly and he will remain so. But that doesn't mean he and Kat won't be good friends. And yes Weiss has a girlfriend, but she's nice! Mrs. Fields, sorry to disappoint you but she's just a nosy neighbour.

Landi—nope no way Irina would miss Katy's birthday.

AnnaSun—thanks for reading and I am doing better now. Kat finally feels like she has a real home. Living with Jack or Sydney, she only ever felt like a guest but now she has a real home.

Without Further Ado...

Redemption

Chapter Fifty Seven

Weiss' eyes grew wide as he stared at the mess in Kat's hair. It was purple. It was supposed to be red but it was an atrocious dark purple. His gloves were also purple. He closed his eyes and grimaced; this mission really was going to hell in a handbasket.

Kat winced slightly as Weiss' gloved hands rubbed her scalp a little too hard. She acknowledged his quiet apology though didn't really hear the words. The smell of ammonia from the dye attacked her sense of smell, and the feel of the gloves rubbing into her hair made her scalp hurt. She couldn't seem to focus her attention on anything.

Ammonia and rubber gloves. Why did that combination seem so familiar?

Weiss had been strangely quiet for the last few moments and Kat ventured a look up at his face. He was deep in concentration twisting her hair on top of her head. "Eric, something wrong?" she asked finally.

"It's purple," he blurted out.

"Purple?"

"Your hair, Katy, it's purple."

Kat let out a sigh of relief. She'd been thinking that it was something much worse. "Eric it's supposed to be purple. Don't worry, it'll turn red when I wash the dye out."

"Oh thank god, I really thought we were screwed."

"Eric relax." Kat turned to look in the mirror and examine the purple hair for herself. "Everything is going to be fine." She looked down watching in almost fascination as Weiss removed the rubber gloves and dropped them in a plastic garbage bag. What was it about those damn rubber gloves?

She and Weiss were in Morocco investigating a lead on possible Covenant activity. There was to be a party at The Delphi hotel in Casablanca that night, which the CIA believed, was a front to conceal an information exchange between two members of The Covenant. Kat's assignment, only her fourth field operation since joining the CIA three weeks prior, was to photograph the exchange so the CIA could identify the men. Weiss would be running surveillance and providing any needed backup. While examining the hotel's surveillance footage, Kat thought she might have recognized a guest as being one of the guards that was hired by Viktor Melnikov when he kidnapped her and held her Spain for Petrov Khasinau. She wasn't sure though, so they decided to go the safe route and change her appearance slightly by dying her hair red just in case. It was a simple reconnaissance mission. But even with simple, seemingly less dangerous missions there was always a risk.

"Are you nervous?" Weiss asked as he washed his hands in the bathroom sink.

Kat lifted herself onto the counter, turning to face him. "No why?"

"I don't know," he shrugged and dried his hands watching her in the mirror. "It's only your fourth mission, it's Covenant, it's-. You're just quiet, tonight, and ever since you came back from agent training." He turned to face her and she turned away watching his reflection in the mirror.

"Eric-"

Weiss crossed his arms over his chest. "'Shiner, are you keeping something from me?"

Kat slipped off the counter and moved to exit the washroom. "Don't be ridiculous."

Weiss grabbed her wrist as she moved to slip past him. "Last night- You're having nightmares again." He searched her face for some flicker of emotion, but all he received was the accustomed blank stare. "I need to know that I can trust you."

"Then why are you questioning me?" Kat gently pulled her hand away. "Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?" Weiss didn't say anything and Kat nodded. "That's what I thought." She slipped past him.

Weiss turned and watched her go. "I'm just worried about you," he said softly but she wasn't there to hear.

Kat surveyed the ballroom sipping her wine slowly. So far everything was going according to plan. With the dress, the shoes, the make up and the jewels, no one had any idea that she wasn't Sophie Harrison, a representative from The BleuMarine Cancer Research Foundation. She touched her newly dyed hair and was grateful that Weiss had the sense to buy the washout kind for her. She hated dyeing her hair.

"How's it going? Spotted anything?"

"No, no activity."

"Alright, well keep me posted Baby."

"Excuse me?" Kat turned away from the crowd into a small alcove. "What did you just say?" She adjusted the straps of her black sequinned gown in an attempt to be as discrete as possible.

"I said to keep me posted." Weiss attempted to hide the snicker in his voice, but of course it was unavoidable. "It's your new call sign, remind me to thank Cruz."

"JJ is so toast," Kat sighed and took another sip of the wine. "Remind me I don't like white wine, only red."

"You're not even supposed to be drinking it," he reminded her. "You're not legal."

"I am in Morocco," she shot back. "Besides what is legal age but a mere suggestion..."

"Uh Kat-?" Weiss interrupted nervously.

"Just don't tell my dad."

"Too late."

"What?"

"Base Ops uploaded your communications two minutes ago."

"You mean he's-?"

"Hello Katarina," Jack interrupted.

Shit. "Hi dad."

"Kat it's almost time, you better get into position."

"Alright, I'm going."

As she slipped away from the ballroom, Kat made a mental note to thank Weiss for getting her out of that. Her father was going to be none too impressed that she'd been drinking wine, even though it had been part of her cover. He hadn't even allowed her half a glass at her eighteenth birthday party. It was at those moments that she wondered if living with Jack was the best thing. The empty silences, occasional awkwardness, and the knowledge that no matter how hard either tried they would probably never be able to live up to each others expectations. She missed being on her own, living in her own space and by her own rules, with no one to account for her actions. Now, having someone tell her what she could and could not do, was intrusive, but at the same moment it was difficult to imagine her life without him and Sydney now. They were everything she'd always wanted and she could now truly understand the phrase, to die for ones family.

"Take the second corridor on your left."

Kat followed Weiss' directions as he led her through the back hallways up to a high vantagepoint in the storage area where she could watch the exchange.

"Their security cameras are looped. Baseops are you getting the feed?" From his position outside the hotel in the security Van, Weiss could monitor all comings and goings of the hotels guests and staff and ensure that each move Kat made would be undetectable.

"We can see her," Marshall confirmed.

"Baby, proceed with caution," Jack warned. "There is staff in surrounding areas."

"I can't believe you just said that," Kat whispered and took off her shoes. Soundlessly she climbed the metal ladders up to the catwalk. "When I get back there, you all are toast. Crisp and deep fried," she whispered under her breath.

Back in LA, Sydney covered her smile with her hand and Jack held back his convincingly. Teasing Kat, had become the new fun thing to do and neither one had missed out.

Kat crawled on her hands and knees across the catwalk staying as low and as quiet as possibly. She checked her watch. It was almost time for The Covenant exchange and she settled into position pulling the lipstick camera from her tiny purse.

"Agent Bristow, may I need to remind you that this is simply a reconnaissance mission." Kendall's voice was broken slightly as it came through the comlink. "We want the pictures, nothing else."

"Aye aye Captain," she muttered adjusting her position slightly.

"Baby, I've got one man entering the storage room."

Kat focused her attention on the door and waited until The Covenant Operative came into view. She couldn't see very well in the dim light to make out any faces but took a few pictures hoping they would turn out. A few moments later the second Covenant Operative entered the storage room. The second man stood with his back to her as they made the exchange. They were both dressed in dark suits in order to sufficiently blend with the party guests. Kat listened carefully to their conversation and was able to make out a few words, but they spoke quietly and she wasn't able understand the full context. It was also too difficult to read their lips in the dark.

"The pictures are coming in clear," Marshall said. "I might even be able to blow them up and see what exactly is being exchanged.

From her vantagepoint on the catwalk Kat could almost make out the second man. All she needed to do was lean out a little bit and she could probably see his face. With one hand grasping tightly to the railing and the other holding the lipstick camera she leaned out into the empty space. She almost had a view of the second man when the metal catwalk she was hanging on to made an undeniable loud creak.

Kat froze. She was hanging almost mid air and the two men began looking around for the disturbance. She closed her eyes praying they wouldn't spot her. She had no such luck. One of the men let out a yell and Kat pulled herself back onto the catwalk. She took off running, her bare feet slamming onto the metal walkway.

"Agent Bristow what is your status?" Kendall's voice broke through the communications link.

"I've been made." Kat could hear Jack and Kendall in her ear ordering her, telling her what to do but she ignored them and just ran relying on Weiss to guide her once she made it out of the storage room. She looked down at the ground and could see one of the men tracking her from below. She had a slight lead on him and used it to her advantage by throwing her purse and shoes down at him as she ran. The purse and first shoe missed but the second shoe hit him squarely on the head delaying him slightly and giving Kat a further lead. She had lost track of the other man moments before and as she reached the edge of the catwalk without thought she tucked the lipstick camera down the front of her dress and climbed over the railing and jumped, grabbing a water pipe just within her reach. She wrapped her legs around it and shimmied down to the far end of it. Once she was within reach of the wall Kat swung herself on the pipe gathering momentum until she was able to swing and launch her body to the one attached to the wall. Easily she slid down it and took off running. She made it out the storage room door before the Covenant operative and pushed it closed behind her. There was a folding metal chair directly across from the door and she grabbed it pushing the back up under the door handle. It would hold the man back temporarily.

"Take the next left and then two rights," Weiss instructed.

Kat followed his orders tearing through the back hallways at breakneck speed.

"Katy wait, someone's in front of you!" Sydney shot up from her chair as the information was displayed on the infrared screen.

It was too late for Kat to do anything. She saw the man and tried to stop as he stepped directly in her path, but wearing only the nylons she skidded right into him knocking them both into a heap on the ground. Kat saw the gun fall from his hand and immediately recognized him as the second Covenant operative; the one she'd been trying to get a picture of. She dove for the gun but the man tackled her and she only managed to push it against the wall away from them both.

Kat got to her feet and kicked the man squarely in the chest. He responded with a quick jab to her side and a drop kick, which ended with her on her backside. Kat stood quickly and defended herself as he went after her. She matched him punch for punch, kick for kick and to the viewers of the hotels security camera it seemed like an endless game of cat and mouse.

Sydney was leaning over the monitor her hands clenched into fists as she watched the fight. "It's Sark," she realized as Kat dropkicked him and his face was revealed to the camera.

"Retriever, go after her," Jack ordered.

"Already on my way," Weiss answered as he ran towards the hotels staff entrance.

"Kat it's Sark."

"What?" Kat turned away to search for the gun but didn't see it. She did hear it however as the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked as it filled the silent air.

"It's Sark!"

Kat held up her hands slowly and acknowledged her opponent. "Hello Sark."

"Miss. Bristow, I thought you didn't work for the CIA." Sark took a few steps towards her keeping his gun aimed at her back.

"Some things change." Kat shrugged nonchalantly keeping her eyes cast at the floor in search of his shadow. "And it's Agent Bristow."

"Turn around, Agent Bristow."

She obeyed and recognized the man as being the one who'd returned her to Viktor Melnikov when she'd attempted her escape. "I wondered what happened to you after Moscow. I suppose I owe you a debt of gratitude for securing my rescue."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sark said slowly and watched her curiously. Kat's expression had changed slightly and she appeared to be confused for some reason. "I want the camera."

Kat tried to concentrate on his words but it was nearly impossible. There was something that was bothering her. His eyes, they reminded her of... ammonia and rubber gloves. She swallowed hard and suddenly had difficulty breathing. Her breathing came in short shallow gasps and her hands trembled.

"Just give him the camera Bristow," Kendall said. "We already have the pictures of the other guy."

Sark watched the girl and became slightly apprehensive. Her hands shook as she reached into the top of her dress and pulled out the lipstick camera. She offered it to Sark and he stepped closer to take it but Kat didn't let go. His eyes locked with hers and she spoke.

"'To be or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them. To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to,-- 'tis a consumation

Devoutly to be wish'd. to die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil.' "

"Agent Bristow, what the hell is going on?" Kendall asked but his questions went unanswered.

Kat took a step forwards and Sark took three back increasing the distance between them. She'd seen the change in him when she'd begun the quote. His eyes widened in surprise or maybe remembrance she wasn't quite sure.

Her mind was assaulted with so many images that she wasn't sure what was real and what was not.

"Kat, I'm almost there." Weiss said breathlessly into his comlink as he ran through the corridors.

"You used to read Shakespeare to me. That was your favourite. Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1." Her voice trembled, as she spoke almost not believing the words herself.

Sark took a few more steps back, now in possession of the camera; she'd so willingly given up. He tried to ignore her words but it was impossible and the text repeated in his mind over and over again.

"No."

"You used to tuck me in at night, and read me Shakespeare before I went to sleep. You gave me Sophie. You-"

Sark shook his head disbelieving. "You're mistaken."

"No," she whispered. Sark turned and walked away from her. "Julian?" she called out desperately.

Sark stopped dead in his tracks. It wasn't possible, but it did make sense. The light was shining on her and he could finally see her, different now from what she'd been in Moscow. Different, but still the same and now more familiar than before. She had red hair, she knew his real name and there were tears in her eyes that were not false. "Katia."

"Julian."

That was the last thing the others heard before Kat's communications link was silenced.

_Julian_


	61. Chapter Fifty Eight

A/N Just wanted to let everyone know that the next few chapters are big ones and will come quicker than in the past.

Review Replies:

Scox- Thank you for the correction, everythings fixed now.

Kathryn- Her boyfriends back? Who said he was her boyfriend? Lol Hope you like the next chappy.

Derevkobristow-spawn- sark and kat hmmmm well they're both in the next chapter if that's what you mean (insert evil laugh here)

Grouch- Hope this chapter clears it up for you, if not feel free to e-mail me if you have questions

Landi- Here is more now! Lol

Anna- here's a great Weiss/Katy scene for you

Eyghon- Well I hope this next chapter lives up to your expectations. Fasten your seatbelt you're in for a bumpy ride.

Agent Flamingo- Hope the next chapter clears up any questions, but if not just ask!

Redemption

Chapter Fifty Eight

"Julian."

She said his name with more defiance than anything else. She wasn't about to be brushed aside, ignored, or even lied to. So it was true. Seeing her like this explained unanswered questions; unanswered suspicions. Not just about finding her familiar due to her resemblance to Sydney, but about finding Sydney familiar years before she had ever met her younger sister. Sark couldn't take his eyes off her. She was crying. She seemed broken and confused. She was unsure of what to believe.

After Moscow he'd begun to dream. He didn't usually remember his dreams. Until recently that was. He remembered Shakespeare and bed bugs and the little girl who'd hung onto his every word and fell asleep in his arms. He'd suspected there was something more to them than just dreams. In the dreams, he never saw her face. He found an old photograph in a box, which contained a few meager belongings from when he was a child. The photograph was of him with a little girl who had long red hair. He wasn't even sure if the little girl from his dreams had ever existed, or if she was even the one in the photograph. Aside from the dreams, he had no memory of either so it was impossible to tell if she was fact or fiction.

When Sark had delivered Melnikov's prisoner back to him, he had hesitated. Her uncanny resemblance to Irina Derevko and Sydney Bristow and the fact that she was just a mere child had made him think twice about performing the act. But, not doing so would have elevated Melnikov's suspicions and there was no way he'd have been able to take her with him. He did the next best thing; delivered Katarina back to Melnikov and informed Irina of her location. On one hand he was surprised to learn Irina Derevko had another daughter, on the other hand he wasn't surprised at all; She was a woman of many secrets.

There was something about the girl that surprised him; it was fear or rather the lack of it. She wasn't afraid of him. In truth, despite her tears of confusion, she seemed almost happy to see him. Whether she meant it or not was another story.

She said his name again. This time it was muffled by a sob and he began to wonder if it indeed was a set up. Perhaps she knew all along and it was a trap. Perhaps any moment the CIA would swoop in and take him into custody, but her confusion seemed so real. Tears glistened on her cheeks and her dark eyes begged for acknowledgment, for any confirmation that he was who she believed him to be. He couldn't give that to her. He didn't have memories; only the dreams.

She stood before him, her dress torn, her arm outstretched, her fingers grasping at air. There was a mark on her cheekbone, a mark he'd caused. It wouldn't be long before her skin pigment would change and the bruise would appear. He'd caused that bruise. He had marred her beautiful face and strangely he wanted to take it back.

"Julian." Her voice was a tortured sob as she called his name. He took a step back and she ran to him throwing her arms around his neck. "Tell me what's going on," she begged whispering in his ear. "Please."

Awkwardly one arm came around her back hugging her slightly. His eyes closed and with the feel of her arms clinging to his body, he remembered. "Little Katia."

He pulled back and saw the confusion in her eyes. She didn't understand how she knew him, why she knew him, only that she did.

He took three steps back. He couldn't lose his focus. Not now.

"Julian, don't leave me."

She begged him to stay, to explain, but he couldn't. He didn't know the answers to the questions she sought. Sark turned and walked quickly down the corridor, leaving her standing alone and confused with the lipstick camera hidden in his pocket. He didn't look back. Looking back he would have seen her cry and he didn't want that.

"Weiss, find Bristow now," Kendall ordered.

"I'm on my way," Weiss pushed passed several maids and continued down the seemingly endless corridors.

"Weiss, Sark got away," Sydney took control of the headset. "According to the security feed Katy is fine, but she turned off her comlink."

"She did what?" Weiss stopped and braced a hand against the wall, trying to catch his breath. "Why the hell would she do that?"

"I don't know," she cried out in frustration or fear; perhaps a mixture of both. "Weiss, just find her."

"I'm on my way." He was about to start running again when he heard a door slam just up ahead. He drew his gun and soundlessly walked along the corridor his back pressed against the wall. He recognized the rear figure of Sark immediately and aimed his gun. "Freeze."

Sark spun around ready for a fight. He lunged at Weiss, quickly knocking the gun from his grasp. Weiss was a decent fighter and could hold his own, but Sark was quicker and younger than he was. Sark slammed Weiss' head against the wall and he collapsed to the floor. Weiss struggled to stand and regain his balance but his efforts were lost and Sark delivered a quick kick to his chest before taking off down another hallway. Weiss pulled himself to his knees and as he attempted to stand he spotted something lying on the floor a few feet away. Sark must have dropped it and not realized.

Going after Sark was useless, he was long gone now. Weiss stretched out his hand and grabbed the object, a photograph, before standing. He used the wall for support as he got to his feet. Turning the photograph over, he was shocked at what he saw. It took a few moments of just staring at the photograph before he slipped it in his pocket and continued in search of Kat.

When he found her she was staring straight ahead looking right at him, but she didn't see him. Her eyes were distant, focused on something beyond him. It took three attempts to capture her attention. "Are you alright? Did Sark hurt you?"

"No."

She seemed disoriented and confused and he wasn't so sure that Sark had let her be. What had happened to her in between the time he'd left the security van and now.

"I gave him the camera."

"Doesn't matter." Weiss cupped her chin and tilted her head up gently. "Are you sure you're all right 'Shiner?" he asked concern showing in his eyes. She nodded, but not convincingly enough for him.

"I just want to go home," she said softly and walked slowly down the hallway. Eventually he followed his hand in his pocket holding tight to the photograph.

In the privacy of his own office, Jack reviewed the security tape from the Hotel in Morocco on his laptop. The picture was black and white, grainy and without sound but there was no mistaking the events that had occurred.

His daughter embracing a cold, heartless killer of her own volition. Calling a name no one had heard before. Crying for him. Reaching for him. And severing the contact between herself and the CIA, leaving her team as only deaf observers.

"Dad?"

He looked up as Sydney entered his office.

"Weiss called. They're on their way home now. The plane just took off." She walked around the side of her father's desk and stood watching the video. It had been almost six hours since the event had taken place. "What do you think happened?" she asked softly.

"I don't know." Jack closed the lid of the computer and glanced out the doorway to Dixon who appeared to be in a heated debate of some kind with Kendall. "But I do know that we need answers quickly."

As if on cue Dixon knocked lightly on the glass door and entered Jack's office. "Jack, Sydney," he spoke gravely, his voice unusually low and quiet. "I need to speak with you both, immediately."

Weiss glanced at the bathroom door of the private plane as it shut quietly behind Kat. Since finding her in the corridor hours before, she'd barely said two words to him. They'd gone back to their hotel suite where she'd immediately gone to her room telling him she was tired. She hadn't slept, that he was sure of. On more than one occasion during those long six hours he'd stood outside her door one hand on the knob, hearing her cry and debating whether or not to go in. Each time, he'd turned away until the last time there was only silence and he woke her to tell her that they were leaving. They were going home. Now, they were five hours into their flight time and Kat had done everything possible to avoid him, even going into the cockpit and sitting with the pilots for several hours.

Weiss pulled out his laptop and opened the security footage Vaughn had sent him. He'd watched it easily a hundred times now, but each time felt like a knife stabbing him in the chest as he watched Kat stepped forwards and hug Sark.

Sark.

A cold, calculated assassin, would be the only word to describe the man who'd tried on several occasions to kill her own sister not to mention himself, Vaughn, Will and countless other CIA Agents. Kat knew about Sark. She knew what kind of a man he was. If he hadn't born witness to the after effects of Kat's meeting with Sark, to see the confusion in her eyes, he'd have thought her actions were a ploy. He'd have thought that she'd hugged him to detain him, to get the camera back, to allow time for Weiss to arrive with a tranq gun and take Sark out before he could harm anyone else. The truth was that her actions hadn't been a ploy. She'd had no ulterior motive or hidden agenda when she'd embraced the enemy. Everything that happened, had been done of her own free will and then she'd stepped back allowing Sark to get away. If one looked at the security footage closely enough, they would see Sark hugging her back if only of the slightest moment.

Weiss snapped the lid of his laptop shut and pushed the computer onto the side table angrily. None of it made sense. Why Sark? Why now? Sark was the representation of everything dark in the life they all led that they'd tried to keep from her. Now it didn't matter.

Weiss was hurt. Whether or not he wanted to admit it to himself didn't matter. He felt the pain in his chest when he thought about it, when he replayed the image of her hugging Sark in his mind. Kat used to talk to him about everything. He was the only one who held her confidences, knew her deepest secrets and her most treasured dreams. At the present moment, he felt he didn't know her at all. She wouldn't talk to him and he didn't know what to say. Every time he'd opened his mouth on the way to the airport, she'd looked away clearing stating her desire to be left alone. He knew she was trying to process everything that had happened, understand it herself before even attempting to explain it to anyone else, but he could have helped. He was her best friend, her confidante, and her partner. But now the distance between them had never been greater.

Weiss retrieved the photo from the inside pocket of his jacket. Sark had to know by now that it was missing. Weiss wondered if by having possession of this photograph, Kat's life might be in danger. In danger from who?

His eyes shifted to Kat as she exited the tiny washroom. In comparison to the night before when she'd looked several years older than her actual age, with her hair done up, the jewels, the make up and the black sequined dress. Now, wearing khakis and a t-shirt, her hair in french braided pigtails and her face scrubbed clean of any toxins she looked several years younger. Sometimes, he had to remind himself how old she really was. She always seemed older than her true age except for the times when she was younger. He relished in those times when she was truly the child she should have been.

She passed him with a hesitated glance and he caught her hand holding it tight. Her eyes traveled to his silently asking to be released, but he wasn't about to budge.

"We need to talk." Weiss patted the seat beside him and reluctantly she sat down curling her legs under body. "I know you don't want to, but we need to." He ventured a look over at her. Her eyes were red and swollen, matching the darkened bruise on her cheekbone and exhaustion was clearly written across her face. She hadn't slept much at all since the mission. Gently he lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders allowing her to slip against his side. "Are you crying?" he asked softly a few moments later. Weiss felt her shake her head no but he knew she was lying. The sound of her shuddering breaths was all too familiar. He waited a few minutes until her breathing had regulated and she'd discretely wiped her eyes before he faced her. She kept her eyes cast down, not looking him in the eye.

"I know something's wrong. I know that you were scared and confused to act the way you did, but Kat, this is serious." He used his index finger to gently lift her chin so their eyes could meet. "You turned off your comlink so none of us could hear what you said to Sark or what he said to you, but the Op Center still had the video surveillance footage. They might not have been able to hear what went on, but they certainly could see what happened in that hallway. I've seen the footage." He thumbed away a tear from the corner of her eye before it had the chance to trickle down her cheek. "They'll want answers. They'll want to know what happened. I understand that you're scared; reluctant to talk. If Sark threatened you-"

"Julian would never hurt me, not ever." Her eyes were wide, almost angered at Weiss' suggestion.

"How do you know?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just know he wouldn't." Kat let out a frustrated sigh and leaned her head back against the couch. "That's what makes this so confusing Eric. I don't know why, or even how, but I know. Somehow I just know that he would never hurt me. At least not intentionally."

"You call him Julian, but the CIA has no knowledge of his first name."

"I don't know," she shrugged. "As soon as I saw him, I just knew. And it's not exactly like he denied it either. It was like he was just as confused as I was." She was silent for several moments as they both contemplated her words and the possible implications of her actions. "What do you suppose will happen?"

"I don't know 'Shiner," he gave her hand a quick squeeze. "It's probable that they are suspicious of what happened. Possibly an investigation of your actions and a review of the events surrounding the mission. Don't be worried," he smiled reassuringly. "You haven't done anything wrong, it's not like you have anything to hide."

"I know."

"There's something I want to show you."

Kat watched curiously as Weiss retrieved the photograph from his pocket and held it face down on his lap. "At the hotel, I confronted Sark and we fought, but he got away. He didn't realize that he dropped this."

Kat turned his hands over to reveal the photograph. "That's me," she whispered in awe staring at the photograph. "My hair, it's different, but that's definitely me.

Weiss tilted her hands so he could see the image as well. Sark, around ten to twelve years of age, stood at the base of a large carpeted staircase holding Kat on his hip who was around four years old at the time. Her hair was red and she wore pink corduroy overalls and a white turtleneck. "I guess this confirms it then. You knew Sark."

Kat could tell he was concerned. The photograph could potentially have the power to cause more questions than there were answers for. "You won't tell anyone right?" she asked. "Not Mike, or Sydney, not anyone. At least until I can figure this out. How and when..."

"I won't," he agreed. "Unless I feel that your life is in any danger. If it is, I will tell, without your permission."

"I understand." She stared at the photograph once more memorizing every detail of it. Julian was standing at the base of the stairs; he couldn't have been more than ten or eleven with wavy blond hair and blue eyes. He hadn't changed a lot since that picture had been taken. He still looked the same; she on the other hand was an entirely different story. He was holding her on his hip and her legs were wrapped around his waist, with her arms around his neck and her head situated on his shoulder. There was nothing forced or posed about the picture. It seemed completely natural and both children were smiling.

As Weiss slipped the picture back into his pocket, he noticed that she was crying again. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks as she slid her body into the curve of his side. "Shiner," he patted his lap urging her over and she quickly followed. It always amazed him at how tiny and compact her body was; she could curl up and fit just perfectly in his lap.

"I'm just so confused," she whispered sighing as Weiss wrapped his arms around her and cradled her against his chest cocooning her in the feeling of security and warmth that only he could give. "It just seems like every time I think things are going okay, something happens and I don't know what's real anymore. I don't know what to believe..."

"We'll just take it one day at a time." Weiss kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back gently. "I promise you, it won't always be like this."

"I'm sorry if I find that hard to believe." Her voice was soft and wistful, her hand wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks as she spoke. They were both silent for several moments, the only movement was that of his hand on her back in slow steady circles.

"Eric, when you were little, was there ever a place that you felt the safest? No matter what was going on in your life, when you were there-you weren't afraid of anything. It was your sanctuary."

He didn't have to think before answering. "My treehouse," he said smiling. "It was the best place in the world, the safest. When my parents were fighting, before their divorce-my brother and I would always go there to get away."

Weiss was silent and Kat looked up at him. His eyes were closed and she reached up cupping his cheek forcing them to open. "They shouldn't have done it. Your parents, they shouldn't have put you and Paul in the middle like that."

He smiled slightly as her fingers slipped from his cheek and settled back into her lap. "When I was older, after Paul died, I spent a lot of time there."

Kat pulled his hand into her lap and traced the lines of his palm with her fingertip. "I don't remember a lot about the time I spent with my mother, but growing up in all those foster homes, I don't remember ever feeling safe. After I came to LA and I got to know Sydney, Will, Mike and my dad, I felt safe with them. I knew they would protect me as best they could from The Covenant and Papa, even from my mother. Do remember that night after you found me in Moscow when I ran away from my dad's apartment?"

"Of course," he nodded slightly as she looked up at him.

"When you asked me why I came to you, I said it was because when I thought of where I felt the safest, it was with you. That's the truth." Kat's hands pulled his arms tighter around her body. "When I'm with you, nothing can hurt me. You're my best friend, my safe place. Nothing can happen to me when you're here." She closed her eyes briefly as he kissed the top of her head. "With Julian, I can't really explain it. I don't fear him as others do. It's different with him--not the same as when I'm with you, but he's safe too." She let out a deep sigh and returned to drawing patterns on Weiss' palm. "How's Lisa?"

"She's good."

"Are you happy? Does she make you happy?"

Weiss studied Kat's profile for a minute. "You don't like Lisa do you?" he didn't receive a response. "I don't understand. Lisa's a wonderful person, I really thought you would like each other."

"It's not that I don't like her Eric, I'm sure she's very nice. It's just... she's been married twice already and I don't want her to hurt you," Kat said honestly.

"Don't worry, she's not going to hurt me."

"Why can't life just ever be simple?"

Weiss squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "I don't know little one. I guess you're a complicated girl." Kat laughed and elbowed him slightly. Weiss grabbed a blanket and spread it over her. "Why don't you get some rest before we land."

Kat adjusted her position slightly on his lap. "Are you worried?"

"'Shiner." Weiss tucked her head under his chin before continuing. "Just tell Dixon the truth. Tell him what you told me and everything will be okay, I promise you." He continued his motions on her back and quickly she drifted off to sleep.

As the plane taxied to a stop on the runway, he looked down at Kat who was still sleeping, her head now resting on his lap and her body lying curled up on the cream white sofa. Jack had called him an hour before and informed him that he would meet the plane at the airstrip and for Weiss and his daughter to remain on the plane.

Weiss adjusted the blanket around Kat's shoulder and listened to her steady breathing. She hadn't even stirred when the plane began its decent and landed. He looked up as Jack entered the plane.

"How is she?" Jack frowned looking down at his daughter.

Weiss shrugged and folded the edge of the blanket down. "Confused, a little scared. Mostly she's just tired. What's going on Jack?"

"The NSC is on a mole hunt," he explained briefly. "Over the past month operations have been compromised. The reconnaissance mission in Morocco was being monitored closely for that reason. The NSC is investigating Katarina's involvement-"

"That's absurd, she couldn't have had any involvement in leaking information-"

"Agent Weiss, ask yourself how her behavior has changed since she returned from Virginia." Jack's eyes flashed with anger. "Distant, quiet, fearful even. Her behavior alone provides the NSC with every reason to question her actions." Weiss opened his mouth to speak but Jack cut him off. "While I have no doubts regarding my daughter's innocence, not everyone feels the same. The operation in Morocco is only the icing on the cake. They don't have any concrete evidence of her wrong doing and while I know they won't find anything that won't stop them from being suspicious-"

"Dad?"

Jack forced a smile as Kat opened her eyes and sat up. "How are you sweetheart?"

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

"I need to speak with you about Morocco."  
  
"You mean about Sark," Kat didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "I don't know very much," she said honestly. "Just that I knew him when I was little by the name of Julian. That's all I swear-"

"You're sure?"

"That's all I remember... except-"

"Except what? Katarina, you need to tell me what else you remember." Jack squatted in front of her feet so he was eye level with her.

"Just that when I was little, when I lived in Russia, he-Alexander Khasinau, used to dye my hair red. The Ammonia and rubber gloves remember I told you about that memory? I remember now, Khasinau or whoever dyed my hair, used to wear rubber gloves and they rubbed my head so hard it hurt-"Her eyes shifted to the open door as two security agents entered the plane. "What's going on?"

Jack stood turning to the door and Weiss and Kat followed suite. "Agents if you'll please excuse us, I need to speak to Agents Weiss and Bristow about information that exceeds your clearance level."

"I'm afraid I can't do that Agent Bristow," Agent Hennesey said firmly as he walked towards the three. "We're under orders not to leave you alone with your daughter."

"Could somebody please tell me what's going on?" Kat asked nervously crossing her arms over her chest.

Hennesey stood directly across from Kat and pulled out his handcuffs. He reached for Kat's hands and cuffed them behind her back ignoring her surprised protest. Her gun and credentials were quickly retrieved from her jacket pocket and handed to the other agent. As Hennesey took her elbow and led her out of the plane with both Jack and Weiss protesting the arrest he began to speak.

"Under orders from Director Branden of The National Security Counsel, Agent Katarina Bristow, you are being arrested and taken into custody under the Patriot Act under suspicion of treason against The United States Government."


	62. Chapter Fifty Nine

Redemption

Chapter Fifty Nine

It had been eight hours. Eight hours, nine minutes and twenty nine seconds since she'd been left alone in the cell. No visitors, no meals, no communication, no explanation at all. She wasn't even allowed to call Jack or Sydney and her initial requests to speak to Dixon or whoever was charge were either denied or simply ignored.

Eight hours, eleven minutes and thirteen seconds. Counting the minutes, even seconds since she'd been brought to the cell at the JTF made time even more endless, but it was also strangely comforting. Even though her world had stopped, the world outside continued to move.

Kat stood staring out the small window in the glass cell. Her hair, still red, hung long and loose having been pulled from the braids when she was taken into custody and searched. She wore the standard issued prison garb. Navy blue pants and a sleeveless black top. Her arms were crossed over her chest and the sunlight elicited a faint glow of light around her.

She hadn't noticed his presence and as he stood watching her, it was eerily similar to the first time he'd met her mother. It had been in the very same cell and in much the same manner that he'd first met his father's killer. He cleared his throat and she turned to the glass divider.

"Vaughn!"

"Hey KitKat."

She walked towards him seeing the pained look on his face, her fingertips pressed against the glass. "What's wrong?"

He was honest. "I was just thinking of the first time I met your mother. It was here, in this cell."

Her eyes grew dark and her palm flattened against the glass. "I'm not my mother Vaughn. No matter what they say, I'm not my mother."

"I know."

"What's going on? No one will tell me anything."

Vaughn took a deep breath before beginning the explanation. "For the last few weeks operations have been compromised. Two of yours –with JJ and Weiss, one of Sydney's and mine and one of Will's. Four hours before your op in Morocco with Weiss, two of our undercover agents, Roberts and Mitchelson, who were working in Columbia in a Covenant front base operation were killed."

"I don't understand."

"They were murdered and their bodies left for us to find. For the last week Director Branden of the NSC has been searching for a mole. After what happened in Morocco with Sark he focused his investigation on you-"

"Well he's not going to find anything," she interrupted.

"Kat, he already did."

"That's absurd," she shook her head angrily. "I haven't done anything."

"They traced a communication back to your user account which was sent to Columbia naming Roberts and Mitchelson as CIA." Vaughn watched her face gradually get paler and paler with each word he spoke and her eyes filled with tears.

"Branden thinks I had them killed?" she whispered.

Vaughn nodded. "They think you're working for The Covenant."

"What? No! I'd never do that! Vaughn-you know me. What they're saying, I didn't do it. I'm not a traitor, I'm not!"

Vaughn remained silent and cast his head down to look at the floor.

"Mike?" she whispered shaking her head. "You believe them? You think I did this?"

Vaughn didn't move but discreetly pressed a button on his watch. "Kat we only have 60 seconds, it's a scrambler I got it from Marshall. Of course I believe you. Branden's on a witchhunt. He's revoked everyone's clearance to see you; the only reason I got through is because I haven't seen him yet. We're doing everything we can to figure this out. Jack and Syd are calling everyone they know and Dixon's protesting the arrest. Even Barnet is protesting-something about confinement damaging your emotional response. Branden's got evidence, I don't know what, but it's convincing and the senate advisory counsel is questioning your recruitment in the first place. Kat, I need to know is there anything you can think of that we need to know. This is serious, are you keeping anything from us?"

She answered without hesitation. "No."

"Are you sure?" he looked her directly in the eyes searching for any discrepancy.

"Yes." Kat pressed her fingers against the glass and spoke, her voice unwavering. "Vaughn, I did not betray my country."

His watch beeped signalling the end of the 60 seconds. It couldn't have come soon enough as the sounds of polished leather shoes against the cement floor grew louder as they approached the cell. Kat turned her back to him and wiped the tears from her eyes. She swallowed hard and took several deep breaths before turning back looking as calm and cool as ever.

"Miss. Bristow." Director Branden was a tall thin man with short grey hair who looked like he'd never set foot in the sun.

"Director Branden, I presume," she cocked her head to the side slightly and looked him directly in the eyes. "I hear I have you to thank for these wonderful new surroundings."

Branden was silent.

Vaughn watched the exchange masking his surprise. He'd never been a witness to Kat's personality changes. She'd become a different person right before his eyes. Her eyes were cold, her voice low and her defiance changed into some unimaginable. The gentleness about her was gone, transformed into something unexplainable. He stole a glance at Branden who appeared to be unaffected by Kat's demeanour, but one look at the faces of Kendall and Lindsey confirmed they were just as surprised as he was.

"Only the best for suspected traitors."

"I'd have expected nothing less." Her eyes travelled to Lindsey and Kendall. "I want a lawyer.

Branden shrugged, "I'm afraid that's not possible."

"It's my legal right."

"Not after 9/11 it's not," Branden folded his arms across his chest and stepped closer to the glass divider. "You see Miss. Bristow and I stress the Miss., you are being held under suspicion of treason against The United States Government. As a supposed Agent of this government, you have no rights."

"We'll see about that."

"Yes we shall." Branden turned in Vaughn's direction. "Agent Vaughn, you'll find that your security clearance to see the prisoner has since been revoked. It would do you good to return to work."

Vaughn nodded and stepped back turning to the long hallway that had brought him to the cell.

"Vaughn," she called his name and he looked back to find her standing directly in front of him on the far side of the cell her arms hanging limply at her sides. "Tell Sydney that I'm alright and ask my father to feed Oliver."

"I will."

"Oh, remind Eric to get doubles of those pictures. He'll know which ones I mean."

"Sure."

"Thanks Vaughn."

Kat turned and walked back to the metal cot with its bare thin mattress. She lay down lacing her fingers together behind her head and staring up at the ceiling. Very slowly she counted to ten listening to the impatient sounds coming from Director's Branden, Lindsey & Kendall. When she reached ten she sat up abruptly knowing anyone of them was close to yelling at her. "Do you think I could get a book?" she asked planting her feet on the floor and leaning forwards, her elbows resting on her thighs. "The hours get kinda long in here."

"Bristow," Kendall warned.

Kat stood her hands on her hips and slowly walked towards the glass partition. "I'm sorry gentlemen, weren't we finished?"

Branden turned to one of the guards. "Get her out of there. It's time we had a little chat."

She stood still as the two guards entered and securely cuffed her hands behind her back. They began leading her down the hallway to what she assumed was the interrogation room. Branden stepped directly in her path and she stopped short.

"I haven't got time for your childish games Miss. Bristow." His head angled towards her in what she deemed could only be an act of intimidation. Not that it worked. Living in foster care at six years old, she'd met a man far more intimidating than Director Branden could ever be; Daddy Caldwell. He'd only been the first of many that followed. "When we get to that room down the hall, you will talk."

Kat stood still watching as Branden disappeared down one hallway. Lindsey walked in front of her as well, his eyes meeting hers momentarily. "Miss Bristow," he said before going down the opposite hall presumably back to The Rotunda.

She now stood flanked by two guards as Kendall moved in front of her. He crossed his arms over his chest and she looked up, her eyes meeting his in... a challenge?

"Agent Bristow." He spoke softly in the low calm voice he usually reserved for business meetings with the higher ups. "This is not a game. You need to start telling the truth or it could end badly. Badly for the agency and badly for you."

She turned her head slightly and licked her lips before speaking. "What they said, I didn't do it-"

"I'm waiting," came an impatient shout from the end of the hallway where Branden stood.

Kendall stepped aside and allowed the trio to pass. She looked back at him. "You know I didn't do it." He didn't respond and the guards nudged her forward. As she walked towards the interrogation room she looked back at Kendall once more who watched as she was led away and Kat realized something very important. He'd called her Agent Bristow. He did believe her, but his hands were tied.

He sipped the red wine slowly allowing the cool liquid to trickle down his throat. It burned slightly, his throat was raw perhaps he was getting sick. It was an odd feeling. Sark was not a man who got sick or caught the common cold easily. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been sick.

He was at his home in Italy, a small estate on the Tuscan countryside. It wasn't very large, nor rather small, but it fit his needs. He sat in his office staring at the book on his desk. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. He couldn't bring himself to open it. It too had been in the box from his childhood that he'd retrieved from Ireland. He hated that damn box, but for some reason had never thrown the contents away.

As soon as he'd returned from Morocco, Sark established contact with the one person who could give him answers. He questioned Irina about her daughter, about Katia, the name he knew her by. Unfortunately her answers didn't give him much to go on. She was concerned about her daughter, there was no denying that, but the only clue she offered him was St. Petersburg. Katarina had lived there as a child; perhaps he would find answers there. In truth, he wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for.

Hamlet still lay unopened on his desk. The old, faded, cloth bound book was such a contrast to the new, dark, cherry stained wood of the desk. He closed his eyes and drained the wineglass. They didn't stay closed for long. In his mind, all he could see was the girl. All he could see was Katia, the mark on her face and the tears in her eyes, begging for him to give her the answers.

The glass lay abandoned near the edge of his desk as he reached for the book and after several moments he opened it. It was just a book. It was Hamlet and the girl had been right, it was his favourite. The first page was stuck to the cover he noticed quickly and gently slid his finger in between separating them. There seemed to be nothing really out of the ordinary at first glance but he turned on the small desk light to examine further. His name was written in childish ink on the inside of the cover. He must have done it, but he didn't remember doing so. The page was still sticky and he couldn't help but wonder what had caused it. Jam, glue, sugar, candy... He wasn't sure why, but he decided it must have been a lollypop; a bright red cherry lollypop. Next to his name were markings, a code he didn't recognize. They looked like ancient writings of some sort but they were drawn in crayon. Four images possibly representing four letters.

Sark closed the book with a loud slam and poured himself another glass of wine. His left hand immediately sought his cell phone from his jacket pocket and he dialled the familiar number. "This is Antonio Matrusca," he began and switched to a Spanish accent. "I want to know everything about Katarina Bristow."

They'd decided on the warehouse. It seemed the most convienant place where they all could meet without suspicion.

"Syd," Vaughn called her name as he entered the warehouse and was immediately wrapped in her embrace.

"Did you talk to her?" Sydney asked drawing him toward the table that had been set up with several computers.

"Yeah, I got in for a minute," Vaughn nodded and sat down beside Weiss at the table. Also surrounding it was Will, Jack & Carrie. "She seemed okay," he said. "I told her what was going on, what happened to Mitchelson and Roberts. She flat out denied any involvement. She said she didn't know anything and she had not leaked any information, but..." his voice trailed off unable to finish the sentence.

"But what?" Sydney prodded him to continue.

"When I was talking to her, she looked me straight in the eye. I should have been able to know if she was telling the truth, but I wasn't sure-"

"What was she doing with her hands?" Jack interrupted.

"What?"

"Her hands. Were they folded, fisted, crossed over her chest, at her sides what?"

Vaughn thought for a moment before answering. "They were pressed up against the glass.

"Was she doing anything with them?"

"Dad?" Sydney began but Jack held up a hand stopping her midword.

"Think Agent Vaughn," Jack pressed him. "Was she doing anything with her hands?"

"Yes," he nodded confidently. "She was tapping her finger, her left index finger."

"She was lying," Weiss realized standing up.

"What, how do you know?" Sydney asked.

"Agent Weiss is correct," Jack interrupted and rested his hand on hers. "Your sister was lying. She taps a pattern with her left index finger when she lies. It's a habit I'd been hoping to break her of."

"Why would she lie, this is her life. It doesn't make sense."

"She's protecting someone."

"But who? Why?"

"I don't know Sydney." Jack shook his head. "Without knowing exactly what she's hiding, I can't answer that."

"There's something else." Vaughn was hesitant as he spoke again. He studied the others who sat around the table and the infant who slept in her carrier near Carrie's feet.

"Vaughn what is it?" Sydney asked growing even more concerned with every passing moment.

"At first she was fine, we were talking and she was scared, she kept telling me she hadn't done anything wrong. Then she changed." Vaughn paused momentarily and looked around at the others faces, each worried with concern for Kat. "Branden, Kendall and Lindsey came in and she was a completely different person. I'd never seen this before, an alias, it wasn't her. She was cold, almost cruel. Distant. Cocky, smart mouthed. Her eyes, they were so dark, almost black and vacant. The way she stood, held her head, moved-it wasn't her. She was like..."

"Like what?" Sydney asked.

"She was like your mother." His words resounded the others to silence. "I don't understand what she was doing-"

"Surviving." Weiss' quiet voice broke through the confused onlookers. It was impossible to explain her actions so he didn't even bother and the sound of an oncoming car caught their attention. Marshall entered the warehouse a few moments later.

"Great place here," Marshall spoke with nervousness ease as he walked up to the table. "A little on the dark and mysterious side but hey that's good, great actually." He took a seat beside Carrie and lifted Kate from her carrier. "So are we going to bust her out of there, kick a little NSC booty... uh sorry Carrie," he added when she glared at him; she was NSC after all.

"Marshall-" she interrupted.

"You know I love you, NSC and all..." he stammered.

"Marshall. You said you found something on the communication that was sent to The Covenant?"

"Yeah, the time didn't coincide." Marshall balanced his daughter on his lap and she happily bounced up and down on her chubby legs. "You like that don't you," he cooed and made funny faces at her. "Yes you do, you like your old dad don't you."

"Marshall, what didn't coincide?" Weiss asked impatiently.

Marshall continued to play with Kate oblivious to everyone else's stares and finally Weiss couldn't take it any more. "Marshall!" he shouted. "What did you find?"

Marshall's eyes bugged out slightly in surprise and Carrie quietly took Kate from him.

"I'm sorry..." he mumbled.

"Marshall," Sydney reached across the table and squeezed his hand gently. "It's alright, just tell us what you found."

"It was the time on the communication, she supposedly sent to The Covenant," Marshall explained. It was the time on it, she couldn't have sent it."

"Why not?" Will asked. "She was in The Rotunda when it was sent, security section logged her in."

"She was," Marshall agreed. "But at the exact time it was sent, she was with Carrie & Kate."

"She was?" Carrie asked surprised.

"How can you be so sure?" Vaughn asked.

"I always take lunch between 12:30 and 1:30, you know I like to keep the same schedule, keeps the pipes oiled so to speak. Carrie brought Kate by for lunch but I was busy and she took Kat instead." Carrie nodded in agreement recollecting the event.

"We're going to need a little more proof than that," Jack interrupted.

"She's on tape," Marshall said with a smile. "She was still in the rotunda, but in my office videotaping Kate's first crawl at exactly the same time the message was supposedly sent."

"Well then she's off the hook," Will breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not exactly," Jack shook his head. "They likely have more evidence. The video could have been altered, it won't be enough, but it's a start-"

Jack was interrupted by a loud creaking sound as the door to the warehouse was opened. All the agents with the exception of Marshall and Carrie pulled their guns and trained them on the door. The intruder immediately held up his hands in surrender style, "It's just me."

"JJ?" Sydney called out surprised and put away her gun. "What are you doing here?"

He walked closer to the group before speaking. "I followed Marshall," he explained glancing around the darkened interior. "You were all gone and I figured you must be up to something. I guess I was right."

"JJ, you shouldn't be here-"Sydney began.

"No, I need to be here," he protested. "I have information for you. It's about Kat."


	63. Chapter Sixty

THE FINAL CHAPTER—just read!

Redemption  
Chapter Sixty

"JJ?" Sydney called out surprised and put away her gun. "What are you doing here?"  
  
He walked closer to the group before speaking. "I followed Marshall," he explained glancing around the darkened interior. "You were all gone and I figured you must be up to something. I guess I was right."  
  
"JJ, you shouldn't be here-"Sydney began.  
  
"No, I need to be here," he protested. "I have information for you. It's about Kat."

"What do you know?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"I have a friend in security, Garcia-"

"How good a friend? Do you trust him?" Will interrupted.

JJ's eyes met Sydney's as he spoke. "I trust him, he's a very, very good friend." JJ pulled an empty metal folding chair from against the wall and sat down beside Carrie. "He was in the room during Kat's interrogation. You... we have to get her out. I know she didn't do whatever they say she did. She's good."

Jack's eyes immediately locked on JJ as he spoke the final words. The boy's hesitance and concern were worrisome. "Agent Cruz," his voice caught the attention of the others and they all looked at him. "What happened to my daughter?"

"He hit her, hard."

"Who did, your friend?" Will asked angrily.

"No, it was Branden." JJ rubbed his eyes and gathered his thoughts before speaking. "He was questioning her in the interrogation room, Garcia and another guard were there in case she tried anything, not that she would of course. They gave her a lie detector test and she failed. Then she wouldn't answer their questions; she wouldn't say anything at all. Not a word, she just stared at the wall the whole time. Then he said something about her mother and she snapped, but not like you'd expect. She jumped up and he hit her. Slapped her pretty hard but she didn't do anything, she just sat back down. He would ask her a question and she would turn it around to say something about him in the most polite manner you'd ever heard. It could have been about the question, his clothes, or anything at all. To say her remarks were insulting would be kind."

Jack raised his hand to scratch his chin and hide a small smile. He knew exactly what his daughter was like when she was pissed off. He had been on the receiving end of those remarks on occasion during her first few months in LA.

"She was cruel, stoic and if I didn't trust Garcia, I wouldn't have believed him at all." JJ paused for a moment and the others got the sense that the worst was yet to come. "She started to loose her cool and Branden was getting really angry. She said something else, it set him off and he hit her. Hard. Really hard. Garcia said that Kat never saw it coming. Her head snapped back and she fell off the chair. Her hands were still cuffed behind her back and no one could stop her. She smashed her head on the table and lost consciousness immediately. Branden had Garcia bring her back to the cell. She woke up twenty minutes later." He looked around at everyone's faces. "I want to help."

"He's not going to get away with this," Sydney said angrily.

"He won't Sydney, he won't." Jack squeezed her hand gently before turning to face JJ. "You understand that by coming here-"

"Kat's my friend Agent Bristow, I'm going to help."

Jack was silent, he wasn't entirely sure that JJ could be trusted or that the information his friend had was correct. But Sydney seemed to trust the young agent and she usually had good judgement. "Agent Vaughn, when you talked to Katarina, did she say anything else? Anything that might give an indication as to what she was lying about?"

"No," he shook his head regretfully. "The only other thing she said was to tell Sydney she was alright, to ask you to feed her cat and Weiss, she wanted me to remind you to make copies of the pictures she wanted. She said you'd know which ones, from her birthday party I guess."

"Yeah, sure," he nodded. "I know which ones." He was about to say something else but was cut off by Jack's cell phone.

Jack answered it quickly spoke for a few moments and then hung up. "That was Devlin," he said to Sydney. "He pulled a few strings, we can see Katarina."

"Oh thank god," Sydney sighed.

Jack stood and began placing the files he'd been examining back into his briefcase. "Sydney, Vaughn, go back to the office, I'll follow in a while. Everyone else take the scenic route home. Sydney will contact you if we have any new information."

Sydney and Vaughn left immediately and the others followed with the exception of Weiss Jack noted who seemed to be taking an exceptionally long time to gather up his documents. "Is there something wrong Agent Weiss?" Jack asked as soon as Will left.

"I need to talk to you."

Jack stood and waited for the agent to continue.

"On the plane, when she was sleeping, she was talking in her sleep."

"What did she say?" Jack asked curiously.

"I don't know," Weiss shrugged. "I couldn't understand her- she was speaking Russian."

"That's not uncommon. Katarina often speaks other languages when she has nightmares-"

"Yes she does but it's always a mixture of English and French or English and Russian or English and Italian, whichever language it is, it's always a mixture. On the plane, she didn't speak a word of English the entire time she was asleep." He watched Jack nod slowly and make a notation on a pad of paper. "There's something else." Weiss fingered the photograph in his pocket slightly before holding it out to Jack. "In Morocco, Sark dropped this," he explained as Jack took it. "Kat confirmed that it was her in the picture."

Jack examined it closely and tried his best to swallow the lump building in his throat. It was his daughter, with Sark.

"She calls him Julian-"

"I'm aware of that Agent Weiss. Have you told anyone else about this?"

"No," he shook his head.

"Good, don't." Jack placed the photograph into his inside pocket and grabbed his briefcase.

"Jack what do you think it means? Her and Sark?"

"It means that Katarina knows more than she's telling."

Weiss leaned against the table and watched Jack leave. Had he just gotten Kat into even more trouble?

Sydney stood with Vaughn in the hallway of The Rotunda waiting for her father. Devlin had miraculously pulled some strings and managed to get both Jack and Sydney in to see Kat. Certain members of the Senate Advisory Counsel had been protesting Kat's involvement with the CIA from the moment she was rescued from The Covenant and brought to LA and they were determined to make an example of her no matter how much some believed she was being set up. Branden's intrusion into their lives was proof of that.

"You alright?" Vaughn asked squeezing her hand gently.

"Once I see Katy," she managed a smile. "I'm worried about her. I'm not entirely sure she can handle this."

"Kat's strong Sydney. Next to you, she's the strongest woman I know." Vaughn hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. "She's overcome so much. For her, this is probably like a bump in the road."

"That's what I'm worried about," Sydney sighed. "I don't think she realizes just how much trouble she's in-whether she did it or not and I know she didn't do it. She's always so strong and fearless when she needs to be but someday she's going to break-"Sydney stopped seeing her father. "Dad?"

Jack approached the two. "We can see her now."

Kat sat on the floor in the back left corner of her cell with her legs drawn up tight to her chest. Her arms were wrapped tightly around them and her chin rested on her knees.

Her head ached. The continuous pounding had been subdued slightly by some aspirin that a doctor from medical services had given her. She was surprised to see the doctor. He'd been called after she woke and was in and out so quickly she was sure that Branden must not have authorized him. The doctor had checked her vision and pupils and promptly declared she didn't have a concussion but would need to take it easy.

One of the guards, Garcia, had been the one to give her the aspirin with a gentle smile and she was positive that he must be JJ's boyfriend. JJ had been very tight lipped about his new partner only mentioning that he was a security guard at the rotunda and that he was Hispanic. As Kat was downing the aspirin she caught Kendall out of the corner of her eye talking with the doctor. He must have been the one who'd authorized the doctor. Although she and the director had disagreed on many occasions she seemed to have a new found respect for him and realized he wasn't the hard ass he always portrayed.

She didn't need to look in a mirror to know Branden had done a fair amount of damage to her face and she couldn't deny that she hadn't deserved it either. He'd hit the left side of her face, just above and to the left of her eye. The skin was tight and painful to the touch and her eye was swollen closed. She hadn't seen it coming and she didn't remember the initial contact of his hand against her skin. What she remembered most was falling, not being able to stop herself and the agony of pain when the side of her head smashed on the corner of the table. It had cut and bled but not enough to warrant stitches.

In the beginning, she had co-operated. They gave her a lie detector test and everything had been fine until she'd started to fail it. Branden dismissed everyone else from the room other than herself, Garcia and another guard. He started to question her, demanded answers, accused her of things she hadn't done and all through it she didn't say a word. She didn't defend herself or deny his accusations. It wouldn't get her anywhere. Branden was convinced she was a traitor and there wasn't any changing his mind so she didn't bother wasting her energy. She did however take pleasure in the fact that her silence pissed him off. Then he got nasty. An off-handed comment about her mother had been the one that finally broke her. She jumped up yelling and he slapped her. Not hard, but hard enough that she calmed for a while and decided to turn the tables on him until he hit her again and this time the interrogation was over.

Branden had asked a lot of questions about Julian. 'No, not Julian,' she reminded herself. Sark. He'd asked her a lot of questions about Sark. Julian and Sark, they were so different, yet the same. The Julian she remembered or rather thought she remembered was not the man he was today. Of course, back then he had only been a boy with shining blue eyes and a mop of curly blond hair.

Sydney and Jack approached the cell quietly. Kat hadn't heard them nor made any movement in the past ten minutes according to Garcia.

"Katarina?"

She lifted her head and it was painfully obvious to both Jack and Sydney that Garcia had been telling the honest truth.

"Daddy," her voice was wistful and earnest. She stood up stiffly in obvious discomfort and slowly walked towards the glass wall.

"Kat-your face," Sydney began.

"It's okay," she interrupted. "I can't say I didn't deserve it. It doesn't hurt that much anyway."

"Katarina-"

"I'm okay Daddy," she whispered. "I'm just confused. They're saying I did things that I didn't do or at least I don't remember doing-"

"Kat don't worry we already have evidence that you didn't send that communication to the Covenant. We're going to get you out of here soon," Sydney said confidently.

"But what about the records?"

"What records?"

"The bank records. Director Branden showed them to me. Bank records in my name, with large deposits and my signature and videotape and computer transmissions from my account. Syd, I don't remember any of it. He's saying I did it, but I don't remember-"

"Katarina, who are you protecting?" Jack asked bluntly.

Her eyes grew wide and she was taken aback. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. You need to tell me who you're protecting."

Jack's voice was anything but sympathetic or compassionate and the manner in which he spoke was one he would use with another agent, not with his daughter. As Sydney watched her father and sister, she became painfully aware that Kat was tapping her left index finger against the glass in a repetitive pattern.

"I thought you believed me. Why don't you believe me?"

"Who is it Katarina, is it Sark? Julian? Are you protecting Julian?"

"I thought you believed me, why don't you believe me?"

"Are you protecting Julian?"

"Stop calling him that. You don't know him."

"Are you protecting Sark?"

"Don't call him that, it's not his name it's... Julian."

Kat was crying now and every tear felt like it was stabbing Sydney in the chest. "Katy just tell us the truth, are you protecting him?"

"Yes, no... I don't know." Her voice trembled and her splayed against the clear glass, gripping it.

"Why?" Jack asked. "Weiss showed me the picture, is it because of that?"

"No," she shouted."

"Then tell me why you're protecting him. Why are you lying for him."

"I don't know."

"Why are you loyal to him?"

"I don't know!" she screamed. "Please Daddy stop. Please just stop," she begged. "I can't hurt Julian. I won't betray Julian."

It was her last words that signaled to the others that someone else was there. Director Branden had been listening down the hall just out of sight, unnoticed by either Jack or Sydney. "Well, well well, finally the admission of guilt."

Both Jack and Sydney watched as Kat grew pale and the realization of just what she'd said hit her.

"That was not an admission of guilt," Sydney protested.

"That certainly is what it sounded like to me." Branden turned to face Kat. "You're going down. The evidence speaks for itself."

"You can't have any reliable evidence because I didn't do anything," Kat said angrily.

"We'll get a confession," Branded stated confidently. "At 0800 hours you're being transferred to Camp Harris for unrestricted interrogation. We'll get a confession."

"No, you have no grounds." Sydney seethed.

"Oh we have more than enough grounds. Your sister is a traitor to the US government and we will find out the extent of her betrayal." Branden motioned the guards over and addressed them. "Please escort Agents Bristow from the premises."

Neither Sydney nor Jack tried to fight off the guards. It would only have made things worse for Kat.

"Katarina." When she looked to Jack, he could see the undeniable fear in her eyes. She knew exactly what unrestricted interrogation was and that it would be decidedly worse than anything The Covenant or Viktor Melnikov had done to her. "We'll figure this out."

Silently she watched them go, not noticing the tears that slid down her cheeks.

"Looks like you've finally run out of time," Branden commented as he begun to walk away.

"I didn't do it," she whispered though no one could hear. "I didn't do it you sonofabitch," she shouted much louder. Her voice screamed out the next words and they echoed down the hallway reaching Sydney and Jack. Both her fists slamming against the glass wall. "I didn't do it!"

Defeated Kat slowly turned her back against the glass and slowly slipped to the ground her knees hugging her chest. She slipped her hands around them and held them as tight as she possibly could.

"I didn't do it."

Weiss leaned his head against the car window. He was driving to Camp Harris to complete Kat's transfer. He wasn't sure why Kendall had chosen him. If anyone he should be the last person to do it, but he followed orders.

The car he was in was following the transfer bus where Kat was located with three armed guards. He knew it was wrong. Kat wouldn't hurt a fly unless provoked and she definitely wasn't working for The Covenant. If she were, he'd know... right?

He'd seen her face, as she was loaded into the bus. Her hands and ankles were shackled together and she'd looked defeated. There wasn't that spark of defiance that he's always admired. She seemed almost accepting of the situation and he had to wonder if she indeed had accepted it.

Camp Harris. Weiss couldn't understand how it had gotten this far. How had everything spun so far out of control so quickly and no one could stop it. The CIA, or rather higher up members of the CIA believed that Katarina Bristow was a traitor to the US Government and was working for The Covenant. They had evidence; communications, video, bank records and more that he didn't know about that all indicated Kat as being the mole. He was positive that Kat was not The Covenant mole. It wasn't even a question for him, but if it was the truth than why wasn't she being honest about Sark? Why was she protecting him?

Kat leaned against the back of the seat and angled her head to look out the window. It wasn't an easy feat but it was far more interesting than watching one of the guards pick his fingernails. The scenery of empty roads sped by and Kat realized how little of LA she'd actually seen. It had been nearly nine months since everything began. Nine months since she'd been kidnapped by The Covenant and discovered the family she never knew she'd had. Nine months later it felt like everything was slipping away.

Kat wasn't sure what had alerted her to the presence of another vehicle. Perhaps it was the flash of light from the rocky hills just before the bus entered the tunnel or the complete darkness, which raised her suspicions. Regardless of what it was, she knew instantly that something bad was about to happen. She turned her body bracing it against the seat and one of the guards stood. He didn't even have time to ask her what she was doing when there was a sudden flash of light, a loud bang and a lot of smoke.

The driver slammed on his breaks and the bus swerved, flipping over and sailing across the empty road on its side.

Kat lay against the broken window struggling to breathe. When the bus had flipped, she'd been tossed to the opposite side of the bus and had the wind knocked out of her. She stood as best she could and saw that all three guards and the driver had been knocked unconscious in the collision. She crawled up the side of the bus as best she could trying to ignore the pain as she came into contact with shards of glass from the broken windows. She checked the pulses of both guards and was relieved to find them alive, just unconscious. She couldn't reach the driver or the third guard as they were trapped behind a screen barrier so she didn't even worry if they were alive or not.

She turned around trying to decide what had happened. Something had been thrown in front of the bus a bomb perhaps, the driver had swerved flipped the bus and then the other car... Eric!

Kat crawled to the back of the bus and looked out the broken window. The car he'd been in was upside down and there wasn't any movement. She had to get out; she had to make sure that he was all right. She began to crawl back to the guards hoping one would have keys for the shackles when she heard voices. There were shouts and gunfire and then someone began rattling the back door of the bus.

It had to be The Covenant or her Papa. They must have come for.

The rattling on the back door became more intense and somewhat frantic. The emergency door must have jammed shut in the accident. She suppressed a scream as the door was fired upon and worked at getting to the guard. There was no time to get the shackles off and she just worked on getting to a gun.

The moment her hands closed around the guard's handgun, she heard the door opening. Turning onto her back she aimed the gun as the person came into view.

The attacker kept their gun aimed at Kat and slowly pulled off their knitted ski mask. Kat's hands shook as she tried to keep the gun level. She was the first one to speak.

"I don't know whether to shoot you, or to trust you."

"If you were going to shoot me, you'd have done it already." The woman lowered her gun and held out her hand instead. "Trust me know. Ask questions later."

Kat's eyes traveled forth between the woman's hand and the gun. Making her decision Kat set down the guard's gun and held out her hands as the woman pulled her to a standing position. Kat visibly flinched as the woman knelt at her feet holding a penknife.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she said and used the blade to pop open the shackles around Kat's ankles and then the cuffs around her wrists. Finally free of the restraints Kat bent and grabbed the gun she'd dropped.

"No." The woman knocked the gun from her hands and grabbed her wrist pulling Kat tightly against her body. She pulled down her mask and wrapped her arm around Kat's waist before placing the barrel of the gun against Kat's shoulder. "Fight me," she ordered. "But you're going."

Kat nodded understanding what the woman wanted and as they neared the bus' emergency doors. Kat began to struggle against her as the woman pulled her away from the bus.

Another figure cloaked in black carrying a gun approached them. "I got her," a man said and wrapped his arm around Kat holding her body tight to his.

Kat began to fight harder not knowing who he was and she kicked as the man began pulling her towards a waiting van. The man wrapped his other arm around her and held her tighter lifting her feet off the ground as they approached the van. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone approaching with his gun drawn. Eric. The woman pulled her own gun and aimed it at Weiss.

"Nooooooooooo!" Kat kicked the man that held her, hard in the groin as Weiss turned towards her. She tried to run to him but the man tackled her from behind and flipped her onto her back. Looming over her he raised hand with the gun near her face. Kat's eyes connected with the man's and she recognized them. "Eric!" she screamed turning to the side and watching as the woman found her target once more. The last thing she would see was the woman pulling the trigger as the man came down hard with the but of his gun near her temple and Kat surrendered to the inky darkness.

Fin

A/N yes you read correctly. This is the end of Redemption. C'est finis. If you're thinking sequel the answer is yes! I'll post more information soon and if you want a PM when I begin posting the sequel let me know.

When I realized that the end of Redemption would be occurring very soon and I realized that I had been writing it for nearly one year, I worked my butt off to get the last few chapters finished. This was so that I would be able to post the final chapter on Oct 12 exactly one year after I began chapter one. Due to computer problems it's being posted on the 13 but you get the idea.

I want to really thank everyone who has been with me through out the whole ride. Especially to my dedicated readers, particularly Bleu & Christine and everyone else who continuously reviewed every chapter and offer encouragement. This is the longest thing I have ever written and I am kinda proud! That said I hope you'll all comment on the last chapter and hope to hear from some of you I haven't heard from in a while.

Thank you again and I'll post info on the sequel soon.  
Erin  
p.s. anyone interested in making a pic/blend for the sequel? If so send me a PM.


	64. Note

Hi Everyone,

I don't have the sequel info yet but I will post it when it's ready. Redemption has been nominated in the Work in Progress category of the Quarterly Fanfiction Awards. If you're interested in voting for it go to www (dot) digitcorp (dot) com (slash) aliasfanfic Erin


	65. Chapter Summaries

Redemption takes place at the end of season two. Most of the events up until then apply except for Sydney being kidnapped and loosing her memory and Will entering Witness Protection.

**Story Summary**  
When Sydney investigates new Intel regarding the The Covenant she discovers she has a 17 year old sister named Kathryn whom she never knew about. Irina faked her death when Kathryn was five and Kathryn spent the rest of her life in foster care in NYC. Sydney, Vaughn and Weiss save her from the Covenant. Kathryn was kidnapped because the Covenant thought she had knowledge about something called The Contessa. Jack and Sydney quickly realize that Kathryn isn't an ordinary teenager and was in fact being molded by Sloan to become an agent. Kathryn didn't know who Sloan really was, but he'd discovered her shortly after Irina left her. Sloan is currently in CIA custody. Jack discovers that Kathryn's father was an ex-KGB officer named Petrov Khasinau who died when she was four. He puts Kathryn in protective custody at a safe house. The safe house is attacked and all but Kathryn are killed. During a regression therapy session they learn that Kathryn has a lot of secrets. Her father whom they thought was Petrov Khasinau was really his brother Alexander Khasinau and during her years in foster care, she was abused significantly both sexually and physically and when she was twelve she gave birth to a baby. Kathryn's son is named Joshua and was adopted at birth as Sloan had arranged. Sydney shows Kathryn a picture of him and they decide to continue the charade with everyone that her baby died at birth in order to avoid any potential . Jack, Sydney, Sloan and Weiss are the only ones who know otherwise. Kathryn becomes good friends with Weiss. Kathryn participates in an operation in an undercover operation in Spain and Jack sees that she could become a very good agent. Kathryn is slowing building a relationship with Sydney. Sydney meets Irina and tells her what happened to Kat as a child and then Irina sends Jack a very important message Kathryn is really Katarina Madrid Bristow, his daughter. Kathryn is kidnapped and then reported dead. A funeral is held and she is buried. In actuality as the others quickly learn, her death was staged by the man who kidnapped her and who works for Petrov Khasinau, the man she thought was her father and thought was dead. Petrov Khasinau is after The Contessa. Kathryn tries to escape but a somewhat shocked Sark prevents her from doing so. Jack and Sydney locate Kathryn with Irina's Intel and they rescue her. She is found alive, badly beaten, but alive and saves Irina's life. For the first time since she was a kid Kathryn gets a good look at her mother. After returning to LA Kathryn reveals that she knows what the Contessa is. It's a purple diamond tiara. The Contessa is connected to Rambaldi and there exists a scroll 47, which they are now looking for. Jack and Kathryn (now going by Kat) make a connection and both realize that maybe there will be hope for them both. Kat is suffering psychologically due to the circumstances of her childhood and her desire to know her son and she is plagued by continuing nightmares. Vaughn, Sydney, Weiss, Will and Kat go to Russia to search for Scroll 47 in an old house owned by the late Alexander Khasinau. Kat encounters Irina and pulls a gun on her, but Irina gets control and shoots the others with a tranq gun so she can talk to Kat. Kat holds a lot of animosity towards Irina. After Irina leaves, they find scroll 47. The scroll is analyzed and reveals that the Chosen one has a sister and she is termed The Countess and she is the only one who can stop the chosen one from complete destruction. Kat is quickly recruited into the agency, much to Jack and Sydney's displeasure. While training at the farm Kat becomes friends with JJ Cruz, who later joins the team. After 8 weeks Kat returns home seemingly a bit older and decides to live with Jack. Sydney throws Kat a surprise 18th birthday party and Jack's gift to her is a new room in a new home; the house where Sydney grew up. Kat and Weiss are on a mission and she encounters Sark. They both realize that they know somehow they knew each other before meeting when Kat was kidnapped by Khasinau. Weiss realizes that Kat is hiding something. Meanwhile a search for a mole has been occurring and when Kat returns home she is arrested under suspicion of being the mole. She was framed and when she is being transferred to another facility the bus is attacked and she is extracted. The last thing she sees is a woman aiming a gun at Weiss.

End

Chapter by Chapter Summaries

Chapter One:

Sydney and the team receive intel about the pending abduction of a 17-year-old girl from NYC named Kathryn Sullivan by the Covenant. Sydney thinks she looks a little familiar. Syd and Vaughn go to NYC break into her apartment only to find that she's already been taken. Syd finds an interesting photograph and shows it to Jack when they return. Turns out Kathryn's mother who was thought to be dead is really Irina Derevko. Kathryn's father Paul Sullivan supposedly committed suicide when she was four and her mother Alison Porter was killed in a Convenience Store robbery when she was five, after which she entered the Foster Care System and was emancipated at the age of fifteen.

Chapter Two  
Syd and Vaughn go to Bangkok where Kathryn is being held. They find her but she is not doing well as she was tortured and she is diabetic. Vaughn carries her out but they are attacked and Kathryn manages to save Vaughn by shooting one of the guards with a tranq gun but they get out safely. She does however punch Weiss knocking him out.

Chapter Three  
Jack met the team at the landing strip and they took Kathryn to the OP Center. While she slept in Jack's office, they learned that she was being tortured for information about something called The Contessa.

Chapter Four  
Kathryn meets Jack and he realizes that there is no doubt that she is Irina's daughter. He questions her about The Contessa but she has no idea what it is or why she was taken.

Chapter Five  
Kathryn tells Jack about the events leading up to her rescue and he convinces her to allow him to do some tests. Memory tests, IQ tests etc… The next morning, she sees and recognizes Weiss and goes to apologize to him earning the nickname Shiner. She sees a code Marshall has been working on for hours and tells him how to decipher it. She sees Jack talking to a woman. As she approaches them, they switch to Greek and finally she interrupts asking what they were saying about her mother.

Chapter Six  
Jack and Sydney explain to Kathryn that her mother was not dead, that she was really Irina Derevko, Russian spy extraordinare. They told Kathryn about her mothers past history and that she indeed was alive. Upset Kathryn ran out of the building and Sydney chased after her. Marshall told Jack about Kathryn's help in decoding the message. Syd and Kathryn have a heart to heart and she starts to loosen up a bit but when they go back to the office Jack ruins things as he demands to know who she is working for.

Chapter Seven  
Kathryn denies any wrongdoing and explains to Jack and Syd that her mother taught her how to break codes as soon as she could read at age two. She is fluent in over 40 languages. She began learning them as a young child. She explained that she got answers on the memory tests purpose so he didn't suspect her of cheating and they learn she has a photographic memory. Jack decides to place her in protective custody. As they are going to the cell, Kathryn sees and recognizes Arvin Sloan and Sydney and Jack realize that Sloan has known Kathryn existed for a long time.

Chapter Eight  
Jack tries to talk to Kathryn about Sloan but she is reluctant. Sloan has been kind to her for as long as she could remember. Jack explains his history regarding SD-6. Sloan found out about Kathryn after her mother supposedly died in the robbery and he came to see Kathryn in the hospital as she recovered from nearly dying. Sloan arranged for her to take all sorts of lessons and classes regardless of what foster home she was living in at the time. Jack realizes that Sloan had been training Kathryn to be a spy since she was six years old with plans to recruit her for SD-6. Jack informs her that she will be transferred to a safehouse that night.

Chapter Nine  
Jack sees Sloan again and Sloan informs him that Paul Sullivan Kathryns father was really a KGB Agent. Sloan denies any knowledge of The Contessa but hints at the fact that Kathryn is hiding some deep secrets.Weiss arrives at Kathryn's cell to take her to the safehouse, but first he takes her to a shooting range at Jacks request. Jack informs her that her father was really a KGB agent named Petrov Ravinski. He hands her a gun and tells her to shoot, she does and Weiss then takes her to a safehouse. Jack shows Kendall the target. She was a perfect shot and yet she said she'd never held a gun before.

Chapter Ten  
Jack contacts Irina seeking info about the Contessa. She claims not to know anything but she will look into it. When the agents on Kathryn's security detail fail to check in, Weiss, Jack and Vaughn go to the safehouse and find a bloody massacre. All their agents were killed and Kathryn was no where to be found.

Chapter Eleven  
Jack, Vaughn and Weiss look around the property for Kathryn and eventually find her hanging from the edge of the roof. Vaughn goes up and gets her down but her arm is broken and she isn't talking to any of them. They take her to Sydney's house where a doctor shows up and sets and casts her arm. Jack, Syd, Vaughn and Weiss watch the security footage and see Kathryn take down four armed attackers, presumably from The Covenant. Jack explains to Syd how Sloan was training her and that Kathryn must have been trained in firearms and other things at some point and then her memory was erased. He also reveals that Petrov Ravinski was unable to have children and he was really Petrov Khasinau, Alexander Khasinau's brother. There is a good possibility that Alexander Khasinau is Kathryns father, not Petrov Khasinau/Petrov Ravinski/Paul Sullivan. Kathryn breaks down blaming herself for all the agents deaths and when asked reveals that she has heard the name Alexander Khasinau before.

Chapter Twelve  
Kathryn tells Jack and the others how the day before her father committed suicide she heard him, her mother and a man named Alexander Khasinau aruging. She found her father dead in the bathtub the next day. Jack goes to see Kathryn later that night. She's supposed to be sleeping but she's not. Jack explains to her that Kendall and Lindsey want her to undergo a hypnotic regression therapy session and she agrees to it against Jacks advice. He tells her to go to sleep and she asks him if he would stay until she fell asleep and he realizes that she is scared to fall asleep. He agreed and sat beside her bed holding her hand all night long.

Chapter Thirteen  
Kathryn has her regression therapy session and everyone learns that Kathryn was abused and raped as a child while in Foster Care. She became pregnant at the age of 12 and Arvin Sloan arranged to have her baby adopted. She goes back to the night of the argument between her mother, father and Alexander Khasinau and they realize that her memories of the events were not correct. As a child Kathryn watched as Alexander Khasinau killed his brother and stated that it was he who was Kathryn's father, not his brother. When asked about The Contessa she tells them that she and her mother went to Russia and lived there for about a year after her father was killed. On her fifth birthday she remembers Alexander Khasinau showing it to her but she is unable to say what it is. She only saw it for a quick second. She tells them that she and her mother returned to New York and that the night of the robbery she went to the store with her babysitter. Alexander Khasinau was there with her mother and others and they accidentally shot Kathryn and Khasinau forced Irina to leave her behind. Jack finally stops the session and Vaughn takes Kathryn back to Sydney's.

Chapter Fourteen  
Jack shows up at Sydney's that night and explains their new arrangement. Kathryn would stay with Sydney providing she would attend sessions with Dr. Barnette and interview briefings with Kendall and Lindsey along with Weiss. Kathryn is having horrible nightmares and Jack results to drugging her to get her to calm down and sleep. For the second night in a row he sat in a chair beside her bed holding her hand as she slept.

Chapter Fifteen  
The next morning Sydney tries to talk to Kathryn about the therapy session but she refuses at first not wanting Sydney to know what she went through as a child. She reveals a little to Sydney and Sydney shows her a photograph of her son, his name is Joshua and he was adopted by a good family as Sloan had arranged. Sydney had gone to see Sloan after finding out about Kathryn's baby. It is decided that in order to protect Joshua they will tell Kendall and Lindsey that he died during childbirth. There aren't any hospital records so they are unable to verify anything. Will arrives home to Syds earlier than expected and is surprised when he is knocked out by Sydney?

Chapter Sixteen  
Syd arrives at home and finds Will unconscious. He wakes up and accuses her of hitting him. Syd can't find Kat and still out of it Will helps her look for her CAT. He finds Kathryn hiding under the kitchen sink holding a baseball bat. Sydney asks Will to stay with Kathryn for about a week because she has to go on a mission and her dad is in Switzerland. Will agrees but Syd warns him that she had Regression therapy and will probably have nightmares for quite a while. Three weeks later Syd comes back. She'd been injured on the mission requiring a hospital stay but she had forbidden anyone to tell Kathryn. Syd learns that Weiss has been sleeping in a chair beside Kathryn's bed every night as she sleeps better when he does. Syd goes to see Kathryn before going to bed and wakes up Weiss. Kathryn overhears their conversation realizing that everyone lied to her about Sydney's health and whereabouts during her mission. Two weeks later Kathryn gets her cast off and Jack blows up at her after finding out she agreed to help the CIA out on a mission to Spain and he has to go with her.

Chapter Seventeen  
Flashbacks reveal that Kathryn and Jack are going to Spain posing as a father and daughter from South Carolina, Alexia and Samuel Deveraux. Kat is a redhead with blue eyes posing as the fiancée of an undercover CIA agent who accidentally slipped up on his cover story when his boss got him drunk. Aidan MacGreggor is posing as JD Salenger. During a party the mission is to go in to his boss's lab download satellite plans and implant a virus into the computer. Jack is still angry with her for agreeing to go on the mission, as she is untrained. They get into an argument and Kathryn accuses Jack of being a bad father to Sydney and not to try to act like one to her b/c she doesn't need one. She accuses Jack of being a liar just like Irina.

Chapter Eighteen  
JD Salenger and his partner Paul Collins are awaiting the arrival of Alexia and Sam. JD/Aidan is surprised when they arrive to find out that Alexia is so young

Chapter Nineteen  
Jack explains the situation regarding Kathryn's non-CIA status to Aidan/JD. Ruggiero, Aidan/JD's sleezeball boss tries to convince Alexia to play the harp for the guests but Kathryn doesn't play the harp. She convinces Ruggiero that she's out of practice but might she play the violin for him instead. Aidan/JD and Alexia/Kathryn dance getting ready to make their escape. They get into a fight and Kathryn slaps him running off followed by Aidan and Jack. Paul Collins keeps Ruggiero from following. They break into the lab and download the satellite plans but Aidan/JD is unable to plant the virus. Despite everyone telling them to abort Kat who had seen the code has Marshall talk her through the firewalls and then manually types in the virus coding based on her photographic memory. It works but they are behind schedule and unable to avoid the security cameras. Aidan/Jake gets them to a room adjacent to the ballroom and they climb over the balcony but Kathryn slips losing her shoes. Aidan/JD pulls her up near breaking her arm. They get back into the party unnoticed the mission was a success.

Chapter Twenty  
On the plane ride back to LA, Jack watches Kathryn and Weiss sleeping and reflects on how much Kathryn was like Irina but she reminded him of Laura and how Irina's actions had damaged Kathryn's life forever. He flashbacks to the night before. Kathryn had a horrible nightmare and woke up screaming bloody murder about her foster father touching her. He didn't know what to do but Weiss managed to calm her down. Kathryn wakes up and changes out of her disguise reflecting on Alexia's goodbye with Aidan/JD. She wouldn't tell him who she was, but she got her first real kiss when he kissed her goodbye. Jack and Kathryn make small talk and she reveals that she's allergic to strawberries. She has a memory of the year she spent in Russia with her mother. All she remembers is the smell of ammonia and rubber gloves but she's not sure what it means. She also remembers a man who was nice to her. He gave her an Archangel, patrons saint of guardian angels medal. She thanks Jack for staying with her that night many weeks before when he slept by her bed because she was scared to go to sleep.

Chapter Twenty One  
Syd picks Kathryn up after her session with Barnette happy to find that she's in a good mood; the sessions with Barnette have been suprisingly helpful. Kathryn guesses that Kendall has a thing for Barnette, after she saw them together after her session. Syd tries to get Kathryn to talk about her past but Kathryn still refuses not wanting to ruin the relationship she is slowly building with her sister. Syd takes Kathryn to the ice rink and she and Vaughn and Weiss try to teach her how to skate. Sydney gets a surprise visitor while there, Irina who wants to talk to her about Katy. Sydney refuses to discuss her and finds out that Irina had no idea how Kathryn had lived for the past 12 years. Irina's informant had been misleading her. Sydney tells Irina about Kathryn's past and Sloan's involvement in her life and that Kathryn had a son who died. Irina reveals that when she and Kathryn lived in Russia for a year, unbeknownst to her, Khasinau had been training Kathryn with a more advanced version of Project Christmas. When Irina found out she took Kathryn and ran. Khasinau found her and the incident at the convenience store was an accident. Katarina Derevko (Kathryn's real name) was reported dead to KGB and K-Directorate because it saved her life. Irina plays the emotional card professing her love for both her daughters. Weiss interrupts and Irina gets away before he sees her. He tells her that her father called and had an allergic reaction to strawberries so he would be late the next day. Jack arrives home and finds a package on his doorstep. He opens it finding the book A Little Princess. He knows right away that it is from Irina and opening it she's written on the first page, "she has your spirit." He unfolds the piece of paper marking the page of chapter twelve and is stunned to find that it is a birth certificate, for Katarina Madrid Bristow. Kathryn is his daughter!

Chapter Twenty Two  
Jack reflects on Kathryn being his daughter, on how he is going to tell her and how she might feel about it considering she already hates him. Jack tells Sydney and then tells Kathryn the truth. Six years after "Laura Bristow" died, he was on a mission in Madrid when he'd gotten hurt. He had no memory of approximately three days during that time and Irina must have found him and slept with him. Kathryn denies the possibility that she is his daughter saying there must have been a mistake or a mix up of some sort. Upset Kathryn runs off. Jack stops Sydney from going after her. Dr. Barnette calls a little later when Kathryn doesn't show up for her session and they realize that she is missing. She had a tracer on her and they track it to Mexico but don't find her. She's been kidnapped. Kathryn awakens in a strange place from a drug-induced slumber. She recognizes one of her captors. He was the one who broke her arm when the safehouse was raided. He puts a gun to her head and despite her protests, he pulls the trigger.

Chapter Twenty Three  
Viktor Melnikov stands over the body of a young girl. She's dead; a bullet wound straight to the temple. In LA, it's been four days since Kathryn disappeared. Jack contacts Irina who begins looking for Kathryn from her end. Irina tells Jack to ask Sydney about her time in Russia. Jack does and learns that Kathryn was programmed to be a spy by Alexander Khasinau. The next day Dixon pulls Syd and Jack into his office. They've received Intel on Kathryn. Her body was found in Rome dead with a single bullet to the temple. They were also sent photographs and video footage of her murder. Kathryn is dead.

Chapter Twenty Four  
Sydney and Jack go to Rome to identify Kathryn's body and bring her home. Vaughn is concerned about Eric who appears to be handling Kathryn's death a little too well considering he knew her better than anyone, even better than Sydney.

Chapter Twenty Five  
Jack blames himself for Kathryn's death for not protecting her like he promised. He and Sydney reflect on their relationship with her. Weiss, unable to handle things well anymore goes up to the cliffs and remembers the first time he brought Kat there, after her first meeting with Kendall and Lindsey. He told her how his brother had committed suicide there and that he goes there when he needs to remember that life is worth living. After that he brought her there after every meeting she had with Lindsey and Kendall when she needed to unwind.

Chapter Twenty Six  
Irina remembers the time she took five year old Katy to the beach and how happy they'd been. She promised they'd go again but she broke that promise. The next day her daughter lay near death in a hospital and she was on a plane bound for Germany. She reflects on her relationship with Katy and Sydney realizing that leaving Kathryn had been harder than leaving Sydney and her feelings regarding Kathryn's hatred towards her and all the things that were never supposed to happen. She replays the events when Jack had met her in Rome and come to tell her that Kathryn was dead. Currently she was sitting disguised in a darken Sedan watching her daughters funeral. Sydney speaks at her funeral and so does Weiss. Jack was at the funeral but did not speak. He lowered her casket to the ground. Once everyone was gone to the wake Irina emerged going to the gravesite to say goodbye to her daughter. She gets a phone call from Sark who tells her that the details of her daughter's death have been exaggerated. She calls Jack to tell him that Kathryn is alive and all he says is "I know."

Chapter Twenty Seven  
Two Days Earlier  
Kathryn is on the run in some kind of house or facility where she is being held. After her argument with Jack and Sydney she ran out of the building and began walking. She was shot with a tranq dart and kidnapped. She was brought to Mexico then Rome and now Russia where she was questioned about The Contessa and tortured for information that she would not give. It was then that a man named Viktor Melnikov pointed a gun to her head, called her Katarina and pulled the trigger and she blacked out. She awoke hours later surprised to find that she was still alive. She manages to escape and take down several guards before taking off to try and find a way out. She's about to escape through an air vent when a gun is cocked behind her and a man calls her Agent Bristow. It's Sark! He's surprised to discover that the girl isn't Sydney. She passes out and he carries her back to Melnikov. Kat tries to escape again but Sark catches her, he thinks she seems familiar other than her resemblance to Sydney. Sark grills Melnikov about why he has Kathryn. Melnikov's employer wants to know about The Contessa and reveals that Kathryn failed the lie detector test. She does remember the Contessa. Kat is tortured by The Dentist. Sark is there only to make a trade with Melnikov. Diamonds for information.  
Three Days Later  
Vaughn, Will, Marshall and Weiss are called to the warehouse by Sydney, where she and Jack reveal that Kathryn is not dead. She'd been doubled somehow using Project Helix and her double was killed and attempted to be passed off as Kathryn but Sydney had noticed the day before the funeral that Kathryn was missing a scar. Their suspicions were confirmed when the received Intel from Irina about where she was being held. The Covenant was not responsible for her abduction. They form a plan to extract Kathryn without the CIA's knowledge because they would not have allowed it.  
Kathryn wakes up from being drugged unsure of where she is. She's in a bedroom dressed in clean pajamas. Someone walks in the room and she calls him Papa.

Chapter Twenty Eight  
Kathryn is surprised to see her Papa. She realizes something is very wrong when he asks Katarina, what the Contessa is. She thought she was safe but she wasn't. Papa was Petrov Khasinau who was supposed to be dead. Will and Weiss are going over the plans for Kat's extraction and Will tells him that Irina will be going along. Weiss is not happy about this but they trust Jacks intuition. Kathryn goes to see Petrov Khasinau and realizes that the whole murder/suicide was just a plan to get Irina and Kat in Russia. Kat claims that people will come looking for her and Khasinau shows her pictures of her murder and funeral. Khasinau shows her a doll named Mishca and says a nursery rhyme and suddenly Kat is in a trance. She was hypnotized as a child and the doll and nursery rhyme are the trigger to bring her back into the hypnotic state where she was no idea what is going on around her. Khasinau shows Melnikov footage of a four year old Kathryn completing a simulation holding a semi-automatic handgun. Under the hypnotic state she will do anything she's told but will only respond to the voice of the person who put her under. Once she's pulled out of the hypnosis she doesn't remember a thing. Viktor took her back to her room with the offer than if she told him what the Contessa was he would see that she remained comfortable though his offer insinuated other things. Kat's rescue team consisting of Sydney, Jack, Will, Vaughn, Weiss and Marshall wait for Irina. Once the plane is in the air Weiss confronts Irina with a gun to her head. If she makes one wrong move, he'll kill her himself.

Chapter Twenty Nine  
Kat is sleeping and awakens to find a drunk Viktor Melnikov on top of her attempting to harm her. She tries to fight him and scream but feels frozen and can't move, can't talk, can't breath. Khasinau arrives and pulls Viktor off her, he then puts her in a trance and leads her somewhere. Outside the rescue team is taking their positions. They are getting ready to go in when Will spots Kathryn on the roof walking along the narrow peak. Suddenly the person she's with swings her out holding her over the edge of the roof. A few minutes later he suddenly pulls her back in and they disappear from the roof. They're about to go in when a car pulls up and about twenty minutes later a man leaves. Kathryn is still inside and this time they go in. Melnikov is torturing Kathryn asking her where the Contessa is. Weiss finds her first, Melnikov was in the process of using shock therapy on her. Sydney took down Melnikov and as they make their escape Kathryn is shot in the leg. Jack carries her out but suddenly she pulls his gun and fires three shots. He looks over to see Irina in a heap on the floor but she stands up. Her mask is pulled up revealing half her face. (Irina was supposed to keep her mask on at all times so Kat didn't know her mother was involved.) Melnikov was about to kill Irina but Kat killed Melnikov instead.

Chapter Thirty  
The team is on their way to the safehouse. Irina arranges to be extracted before Jack's comes. Kathryn wakes up and pulls on Jacks face to see if he is real. She remembers Irina and tells her to take off her mask, Irina does. Irina tries to talk to her but Kat won't listen and tells Irina that she is not her mother, her mother died when she was five years old. Kat apologizes to Jack for calling him a bad father when they were going to Spain. Kat tells them all that Papa was responsible, that he had never died it had all been a plan to get Kat and Irina to Russia.

Chapter Thirty One  
They arrive at the safe house. Irina explains part of her reason for keeping Kathryn away to Jack. If she'd told Jack about Katy when she was born, they all would have been killed including Sydney. Irina tries to talk to Kat but she refuses. She asks Kat what she told khasinau about the Contessa and Kat denies telling him anything. She doesn't know anything. Jack takes the bullet out of Kats leg and sews her up. A helicopter comes and extracts Irina. She'd called Sark for the extraction and Sark reveals that Kathryn lied to Irina about knowing what the Contessa was. Kat failed the lie detector test. She does know what the Contessa is. Lindsey and Kendall meet the team at the landing strip in LA and are surprised to discover Kat is with them. They attempt to place her in protective custody following Devlins orders from before she went missing but she shuts them up by telling them that she knows what the Contessa is. They go back to the JTF.

Chapter Thirty Two  
At the JTF the team is debriefed while Kat locks herself in Jacks office with a sketchpad and her doll Sophie and a glass of grape juice. Jack talked to Devlin and convinced him to cancel the protective custody order as long as Kat stayed with him. Kat then shows everyone the secret code hidden in her dolls dress and that the Contessa is part of the Romanov Legacy and it is a large rare purple diamond that has been fitted into a tiara. Jack takes Kat to his place and then finds that she was hurt far worse than she let on. She was whipped by a belt and beaten very badly. Her sides ache and it hurts to breath. Jack fixes her as best he can but tells her that she will have x-rays the next day. He asks her if they raped her and she says no. She goes to sleep and Jack wakes her the next morning. They have to go to the JTF, progress has been made on The Contessa.

Chapter Thirty Three  
Jack takes Kat to the JTF and she's worried about the reaction she'll get because half the staff went to her funeral. She sees Weiss and tries to talk to him but he doesn't hear her. Sydney takes her to Marshall's office so that she can meet Marshall and Carrie's baby. She was born the day of Kat's funeral and they named her Kate after Kathryn. Carrie asks her if she'll be the baby's godmother Sydney Vaughn and Weiss already agreed but she politely refuses unsure of how long she'll be around. Kat goes to talk to Dixon and Weiss bursts into Marshall's office. No one knows what they found out about the Contessa but Weiss overheard some agents brought in from Langley talking and they mentioned that The Contessa was connected to Rambaldi. In The briefing, Dixon introduces Kat as Kat Bristow. Kat is confused because Weiss has been avoiding her and wont even look at her during the briefing. Dixon briefly explains Kat's kidnapping and who was responsible and that she did know what the Contessa was. An analyst from Langley explains that they traced the Contessa back to the Romanovs. The Romanovs had it and it was cut into a diamond tiara. Before the Romanovs had it, it belonged to rambaldi. Analysis of Kat's doll Sophie, reveals that the material of the dress containing the code was manufactured during Rambaldi's lifespan and that coding is his. They only found one mention of The Contessa in Rambaldi's works. He referred to the diamond as "the Key" This triggers Carrie's memory who remembers that in Rambaldi's manuscript he made reference to the fact that the key would be explained in scroll 47 which they had assumed meant Page 47, the prophecy page. Now they realize that there is a scroll 47 out there. Kat sees Devlin and confronts him telling him that if he tries to lock her up again, she'll run and they won't ever be able to find her. Devlin confronts Jack with the knowledge that he knows Irina contacted him about Kathryn and wants to know if she had any part in Kats abduction (which she didn't). Jack meets Kat in his office and Kat asks if he is angry because Dixon called her Kat Bristow, she wasn't sure what she wanted to be called because she doesn't know who she is anymore. Jack tells her to get her coat; he wants to take her somewhere.

Chapter Thirty Four

Jack and Kat are about to leave when Kat sees Weiss. She tries to talk to him but he blows her off. Jack surprises Kat by taking her to the cemetery in order to show her that her life as Kathryn Sullivan is over. She can be anyone else but she can't continue to be Kathryn as The Covenant thinks she's dead and it's best if it stayed that way. Kat finds a bouquet of blue roses at the gravestone and they suspect that they are from Irina. Jack tells her that he understands how it feels to be betrayed and deceived by Irina and that she doesn't have to accept him in her life as her father but she does have to accept the fact that he is her father. Instead of taking her back to the JTF, Jack takes her to the carousel where he and Laura/Irina used to bring Sydney as a child. She asks him what he wants from her, as his name on her birth certificate doesn't make him a father. He asks for a chance to earn her trust again, not as Sydney's father but as her own. Jack tells her about why Irina changed her identity and left her in NYC, how Alexander Khasinau had tested a more advanced version of project christmas on her. He told her that Irina was the one responsible for her rescue and Kat told him that a Mr. Sark who was uninvolved in her kidnapping had been with Melnikov for a short while. Kat tells him that he reminds her of Mr. Caldwell and that she doesn't hate him, but she was jealous of Sydney and his relationship because she'd never really had a father growing up. They start to leave but Jack stops her and asked why she lied to him the night before when he asked if she'd been raped while in Melnikov's custody.

Chapter Thirty Five  
Kat tries to deny that anything happened but Jack won't believe her. She finally tells him that Melnikov was drunk and tried to but Petrov Khasinau pulled him off her. She tells him that she gave up and couldn't fight him. She was ashamed that she was going to let it happen. Everyone thought she was dead, no one would be coming to rescue her, so she stopped fighting. She's crying and calls him Daddy and apologizes for giving up on him. Jack realizes that she's slowly beginning to break down the protection walls she'd built up around herself. Jack asks her what she told Petrov Khasinau about The Contessa. She told Jack that there is a lot that she doesn't remember. She has no recollection of Khasinau taking her up on the roof of the building, all the sudden she was just there and he was holding her out over the edge, demanding to know about The Contessa. He told her if she didn't tell him, he would have Sydney, Will and Vaughn killed right then and there. Not knowing it was a bluff, she lied and told Khasinau that The Contessa was a book. Kat asks Jack if she can see Arvin but he refuses at first but then relents and says that he'll see what he can do. She tells Jack that she remembers being Katarina and wants to be her again, Katarina Bristow. As they get ready to leave Jack gets a call from Sydney asking if he's seen Weiss because no one can find him. Kat asks Jack to take her somewhere before they go back to the JTF.

Chapter Thirty Six

Jack takes Kat to the cliffs and leaves her there with Weiss. She asks Weiss what's going on, why he's giving her the brush off. Weiss tries to deny it and eventually explodes. He's ashamed because he really believed she was dead. She tells him that she understands how he's feeling and that he's her best friend. He never judges her or has expectations. They hug and Weiss realizes that the feeling is mutual, she's his best friend too. He finds the bandage on her back from the whippings. They sit on the bench for a while longer and joke about finding Weiss a girlfriend.

In Italy Sark is thinking about Kat. She impressed him with her ability to stand up to Melnikov. She reminded him of the Sydney, he had known before her double agent status had begun to take effect and before the murder of her best friend Francie Calfo. He decides that soon he will contact a Covenant mole within the CIA, but not just yet.

Chapter Thirty Seven  
Back at the JTF Vaughn finds a lead. Before his death Alexander Khasinau rented a safety deposit box at a bank in Cairo. It supposedly contains documents and there is a good chance it contains Scroll 47. Kat and Weiss come back and Jack orders Kat to go to Medical Services. He talks to Weiss asking if there is something going on between Weiss and Kat. Weiss protests the insinuations that their relationship is unethical. Jack asks what Weiss does to calm Kat down when she's having a nightmare. After much prodding Weiss finally gives in and tells Jack that he sings to her. Jack gets called to Medical Services where Kat is giving the doctors a hard time about taking her blood. Later at Jack's apartment Kat gets a package of old photographs from Irina and angrily trashes Jack's kitchen. After cleaning up Jack goes to check on Kat and finds that she broke into a locked drawer in his desk and was looking at an old photograph of him and Laura. Kat asks if he's still in love with her.

Chapter Thirty Eight  
Kat accuses Jack of still being in love with Irina and of having forgiven her. Jack denies it and Kat tells him that she remembers seeing the photo before. When she was three, before her Papa supposedly died she found the picture in her mothers room. Irina told her never to tell anyone about it that it was a special man whom she would meet someday. Papa (Petrov Khasinau) wasn't around much and Kat used to sneak into Irina's room look at the picture and pretend the man in the photo was her father. Kat baits him for answers but Jack won't give in and tells her to stay out of his personal life. Kat tells Jack that Marshall and Carrie asked her to be their baby's godmother but she refused because she may not be around much longer. Jack tells her that she needs to continue to make plans for her future and asks if her hesitation has to do with Joshua. It does and Jack tells her not to dwell on him so much, he's safe and happy and someday she will have other children. Kat argues that she won't be able to have other children and Jack knows this. She is unable to have any more children due to the damage she suffered as a child. Jack tells her not to give up hope and says goodnight.

Sydney and Vaughn are in Cairo attempting to recover Scroll 47. They break into the banks safety deposit boxes and find Alexander Khasinau's box, #47.

Jack wakes Kat up from a terrifying nightmare, in which she killed Jack and Sydney. Unable to get her to calm down he eventually resorts to singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Sydney and Vaughn open the safety deposit box. Scroll 47 isn't there, only a bunch of coded papers.

Chapter Thirty Nine

Kat has a meeting with Barnett the next day but she refuses to talk to her. Barnett can't figure out what changed in the span of one day. Kat's very angry and won't say a word. Carrie shows up to take Kat to lunch and asks her again to be Baby Kate's Godmother and Kat accepts.

A week later nothing has changed. Kat still refuses to talk to Barnett; she's angry and tempermental. Sydney asks her to examine the codes she and Vaughn found in Cairo to see if she can decipher them. Jack finds some disturbing drawings Kat made of knives dripping with blood. Another imaged he guessed to be Sydney and himself tied up with blood all over them and a woman holding a bloodied knife. He makes an appointment to see Dr. Barnett the next morning.

Later that night Jack wakes up to find Kat missing from her bed.

Weiss is woken by someone ringing his doorbell and he is surprised to find Kat there upset, barefoot and freezing. He calls Jack and finds out that Kat snuck out. Weiss tries to find out what happened to Kat but she's not forthcoming. He finally gets it out of her that she's tired of all her nightmares. Everyone else thinks they've stopped but they haven't. Kat hasn't slept through the night since she was six years old. Weiss tells her that they'll figure it out and they'll get the nightmares to stop. Kat decides she made the right decision by leaving Jacks. She can't stay so close to him or Sydney right now. Weiss asks why she came to him and she says that she tried to think of the one place she felt the safest, and that was where he was.

Chapter Forty  
Jack goes to Weiss' apartment the next morning. Kat still hasn't told Weiss why she took off. Weiss tells Jack that Kat's nightmares have never stopped. Jack tries to talk to Kat but she ignores him and he tells her that he won' play her games. He tells her not to ever leave without telling him again. Jack leaves and Kat explodes at Weiss for telling him her secret. Weiss blows up at Kat and telling her to stop trying to do everything herself and let people help her. Everyone is worried about her, one minute she and Jack are getting along better and the next she can't stand the sight of either him or Sydney.

Chapter Forty One

Jack and Sydney meet with Barnett regarding Kat's drawings. They decide that her recent change in behavior is due to the dream that she had where she killed Sydney and Jack. Barnett explains that over the years Kat has developed coping mechanisms to deal with her nightmares such as forcing herself to wake up before she screamed. She also explains that although Kat is very much grown up in years and experience, she is also very much still a child as she's never learned how to trust people and because she had to grow up so fast, she skipped many stages of emotional development. Kat shows up for her appointment with Barnett and is angry with Jack for going through her belongings and finding the drawings. She confesses that she was so distant from Jack and Sydney because she was afraid that she might hurt them. She's afraid that she'll loose them. Jack asks her to trust him again and she decides to give it another shot. Jack takes her home and she goes to sleep. When she wakes he is packing to go on a trip. She reveals to him that the coded documents Syd and Vaughn found in Cairo were written by her. She knows this because of a notation on each page, four symbols which stand stands for Katy but she still doesn't know what the documents say. She asks Jack to hide all the sharp knives because they make her nervous and Jack tells her that in the morning before he leaves, he's going to take her to see Sloane.

Chapter Forty Two

Vaughn asks Weiss if there is anything going on between him and Kat and Weiss denies it. Vaughn explains to him about Kat's dream of killing Jack and Sydney and that's why she was such a pain in the ass. She was trying to scare them off.

Kat decodes the pages Syd and Vaughn found in Cairo. The documents reveal an address in St. Petersburg, Russia, a key code to a vault and the words to the Jack and Jill nursery Rhyme. Syd, Vaughn and Weiss check with their contacts and begin to spec out a mission with hopes that the address and code would lead to Scroll 47. Syd and Kat make plans for a girls night in that night.

Chapter Forty Three  
Kat and Syd have a girls night in. They discuss first kisses and a certain Agent Aidan MacGreggor. Kat and Syd discuss love and how Syd knew she was in love with Danny and how Kat is afraid she might miss out because she's afraid to trust guys. Kat tells Syd that despite all the craziness she is happy. She also tells Syd about her meeting with Sloane. Sloane didn't give Kat any information, rather he taunted her, twisting her words making her angry until she let it slip that Jack was really her father. Jack shows up having come back early from his business trip and has a present for Kat. It was a little kitten. He also brought Sydney poetry books and Kat her two favorite books Anna Karenina and Les Miserables. Kat asks him to stay and watch the movie with her and Sydney. Jack and Sydney go into the kitchen and Syd tells him about Kat solving the code. Jack is angered to find that Kat ignored her food intake and ended up to be hyperglycemic as a result of too much sugar. Vaughn calls and Syd goes to answer the phone. Kat names her kitten Oliver. Kat and Jack talk for a while and she asks Jack if she can call him Dad, which he of course says yes. Syd returns to the living room to find Kat asleep, her head in Jack's lap. She tells Jack all the intel was verified and in the morning she, Vaughn, Weiss, Will and Kat were going to St. Petersburg.

Chapter Forty Four

Jack is at the communications center back in LA anxiously awaiting contact from the team in St Petersburg. Communications had been cut off twenty minutes before and they hadn't heard anything since. Vaughn finally contacts them and tells him that they were all shot with Tranq guns and Kat is nowhere to be found.

Forty Minutes Earlier  
The team infiltrates the house in St. Petersburg. Will and Kat stick together and Kat is surprised to find a vase of fresh cut daisies. Will turns around and Kat is gone and they can't contact her. Marshall realizes that she's purposely turned her com link off. Will tracks her movements and goes up to the third floor. As he opens the door he sees her standing in front of him holding a silver .48 gun. Kat cocks the gun and warns Will not to come any closer.

Chapter Forty Five  
The rest of the team go to the third floor and enter the room stunned to find Kat pointing a gun at her mother. They tell her to put the gun down but she won't. Syd turns Kat's com link on hoping Jack can get her to put the gun down. He can't and Kat turns the com link off. Irina challenges Kat and she is beginning to loose control and is about to pull the trigger.

Chapter Forty Six

Irina got the gun away from Kat and shot the others with tranq darts. She grabs Kat and takes her into another room handcuffing her to a chair. Irina and Kat have a confrontation. Kat tells Irina a few bad stories of her growing up and accidentally tells Irina that she got pregnant. Irina warns Kat to stop looking for the scroll. Irina clarifies some of Kat's memories and tells Kat that just before she took Kat and left Russia, she came home early and found Kat. There was something wrong with her she appeared to be almost sleepwalking and there was blood all over her hands. Kat realizes that Irina must know something about scroll 47. Irina tells Kat that she loves her, and then leaves.

Chapter Forty Seven  
Vaughn, Syd, Weiss and Will wake up and go in search of Kat. They find her. They go back to search for the scroll but Kat tells Sydney that it was never there. Irina got there first but the scroll was not in the safe. Kat goes into a room that she remembers as being her bedroom when she lived there. She takes a painting off the wall and realizes that it's a scene from Jack and Jill. Will takes the painting apart and they find Scroll 47 hidden in the back.  
Back in LA, Jack takes Kat to the gym laces up boxing gloves ordering her to hit the bag as an outlet for her anger. Kat gets harsher and stronger and eventually begins to loose control and Jack pulls her away before she hurts herself. They are called back to the office after analysis has decoded Scroll 47. Scroll 47 is a prophecy. It's The Countess Prophecy by Rambaldi.

Rambaldi prophesized that a girl to be called The Countess is the only one who can stop The Chosen One. She will be forced to make difficult decisions and use The Countess to choose between the path of good and the path of evil. Either path will bring with it a great sacrifice.

Kat bursts out laughing unable to believe the ludicrous situation.

Chapter Forty Eight  
Kat sneeks away from the briefing room. Lindsey finds her and calls her into his office. When she comes out she goes to talk to Jack and tells him that she made a deal with Lindsey and with the CIA. She had to choose between protective custody and recruitment and she chose recruitment. Kat tells Jack that she loves him and says good bye.

Chapter 49

Jack is royally pissed off when he discovers that both Devlin and Lindsey were in on the plan to recruit Kat and he realises that her decision to join the CIA wasn't as forced as she led him to believe. Kat wanted to join. He also learns that Devlin had Kat's guardianship transferred to himself behind Jack's back. Jack realises that Kat joined the agency mostly for revenge against her mother. Two weeks later he receives a letter from Kat explaining her decision to join the CIA despite it being against his wishes. Part of her reason was for revenge; another was to pay back what others had lost. She thanks him for sticking by her through everything and giving her a chance to make something of herself. She also asks him to stop excessive drinking. After finishing the letter, Jack went to the kitchen and soon felt a gun pressed against his neck.

Chapter 50  
The owner of the gun is Irina wanting to know where Kat disappeared to. Jack pins Irina against the couch and questions her knowledge and involvement regarding The Contessa. They kiss until Jack breaks it off and tells Irina where Kat is and tells her that he screwed up regarding Kat's legal custody. He gives Irina Kat's letter to read. After reading the letter Irina finds Jack looking at drawings Kat had made. She sees one of a young boy and asks Jack if Kat's son Joshua is really alive.

Chapter 51 Part 1

Jack confirms that Joshua is alive and that just about everyone thinks that he died at birth. Irina is delighted at the knowledge that she is a grandmother but Jack quickly quells it reminding her that Katarina is not Joshua's mother anymore and that they are also not his grandparents, because he has parents and grandparents who love him. Irina tells Jack that she knew about the Contessa but had been searching for three years for evidence that Kat either was or was not The Countess and she had no knowledge of Scroll 47. Irina tries to talk to him about something important but he distracts her and they sleep together.

Over at the Farm, Kat is in CIA training. Most of her fellow trainees don't like her and protest her training. They think she's too young and small with the exception of JJ Cruz who recognises her talent. They know her as Amanda Scott age 21, until another recruit Anna Myers discovers her true identity.

Chapter 51 Part 2

Jack and Irina lay in bed after making love and Irina tells Jack that she needs to tell him something important, but instead asks Jack to tell her about Katarina and he complies. He gives her a picture of Sydney and Kat and they fall asleep. He later awakens to find Irina gone and 'Truth Takes Time' scrawled in red lipstick on his mirror.

JJ Cruz finds Kat training late at night and confronts her about the scars on her back and about Kathryn Sullivan/Katarina Bristow. She explains that she was under orders by Director Devlin to keep her identity a secret and she tells him who she really is Jack Bristow and Irina Derevko's (The Man's) daughter. She also reveals that she is really only seventeen years old. Kat and JJ forge a friendship.

Chapter Fifty Two  
Sydney visits Kat at the training centre. She meets with Sam, the SD-6 trainer who trained her and was recruited into the real CIA as head-trainer at Jack's recommendation. Sam immediately asks Sydney why the CIA, specifically Devlin tried to fool him by changing Kat's name. Sydney observes Kat training while JJ spots her on the uneven bars and is a little surprised at how good she is. Sam explains that he has been ordered to train her harder than anyone and that while everyone else is on free time she trains of her own volition. The other recruits didn't take too kindly to her real identity with the exception of JJ who has always treated her equally, unlike the others due to her age and physical stature. Sydney gives Sam a little history on Kat and that some people are after Kat. Sydney decides to fight Kat herself and she fights her blindfolded. They pin each other a few times until Sydney gives in. Kat is shocked to find that it's Sydney she has been fighting. After learning that training is going well and Kat is just homesick, Sydney takes her to dinner.

Chapter Fifty Three

About six weeks after Sydney's visit to The Farm, Kat returns home looking and seeming slightly older than when she left. After catching Sydney and Vaughn in an awkward position she goes to Jack's apartment deciding that she wants to live with him for a while and falls asleep outside his door waiting for him to get home. Both Vaughn and Sydney have noticed that despite being happy to be home, Kat also seemed a little sad. After Kat is in bed, Jack sees her sketchpad and realises what is bothering her.

Chapter Fifty Four

Weiss gets an interesting wake up call when he finds Kat sitting on his stomach. She broke into his apartment and rewired his security alarm. It's her last two days of freedom before officially starting work at the CIA and she wants to spend it with him. She wants him to take her to the beach and finally he agrees. Weiss takes her to breakfast and notices that there is something "off" about her. When he sees her watching a little boy he realises what it is. At the beach, Kat and Weiss are building a sandcastle. Kat runs off for more water and is distracted helping a couple of small children fill their buckets. Jack shows up and speaks with Weiss asking him if Kat can stay with him for a few days because Sydney, himself, Vaughn and Will will all be busy, but he's telling Kat that they will all be out of town. Kat comes over and Jack asks her to take a walk and she agrees. Jack tells her that she seems older now and she denies that anything has changed. Jack tells her that he and everyone else will be going away for a few days and he tells her that he knows what today is. Kat pretends not to know what he's talking about. Jack tells her that he knows she is drawing "him" again and that she shouldn't dwell on him because it was only making her miserable. Kat is upset at his words and runs off. Jack follows and explains to her that he's not asking her to forget "him" but by dwelling on him she was only hurting herself and that she will still love "him" even if she's not always thinking about "him". Kat explains to Jack that she's not even sure if she loves "him" or if she only thinks she does because she knows she's supposed to. Jack tells her that there is no right or wrong answer to her question and asks her to try and put the past behind her so she can move on with her life and be happy. He leaves and she goes back to building sandcastles with Weiss.

Chapter Fifty Five  
That night Weiss takes Kat to a fair with Will, Carrie and Marshall, but she is depressed and distracted and not having a good time. Will is concerned about Kat's behaviour and asks Weiss what's wrong but he won't say anything. The next thing they know Kat has disappeared. Will thinks she might have taken off on purpose but Weiss counters saying she might not have even been aware that she'd walked off as she'd been a sort of daze all evening. Weiss nearly reports her missing to the CIA but then spots a vendor selling red helium balloons and knows she must be nearby as she's spent most of the afternoon drawing red balloons on a pad of paper. He spots her buying a balloon for a small blond haired boy. Angry, Weiss approaches her and tells her never to run off like that again and she punches him. Weiss apologises for yelling at her and they argue until Kat breaks down crying. She tells Weiss that Jack says she was obsessing over "him" and she admits that "he" is all she thinks about. Weiss tells her that it's normal, after all "he" is her son and she loves him. The "he/him" that they've been talking about is Joshua, her son who was put up for adoption when she was thirteen. Today is Joshua's fifth birthday/ She confesses to Weiss that she's not sure if she loves "him", she's not sure if she is capable of loving anyone but Weiss tells her that she does love him. Love is a basic human emotion innate in everyone, but some people show more than others do. Kat tells Weiss the truth of his birth and he makes the suggestion that she write Joshua letters of everything she wants to tell him, even though he won't ever read them. Kat wishes on a shooting star before she and Weiss return to the fair. The next night Will is taking Kat to see a show but they have to stop off at The Restaurant 'Francine's' which his sister Amy is reopening. As they enter the restaurant "SURPRISE"

Chapter Fifty Six  
"Surprise" It's a surprise birthday party for Kat. Kat is a little surprised because she doesn't think it's her birthday but Jack explains that according to her original birth certificate, her birthday is the next day, not two months prior like she thought. Kat quickly greets everyone and is shocked when Weiss introduces her to his new girlfriend Lisa, whom he hadn't mentioned. Jack sees this and sees the hurt in her eyes. He tries to leave but Kat stops him and asks him to stay telling him that if he thinks she's still angry at him because of their conversation on the beach, she's not and she wants him to stay. She also tells him that she knows she loves Joshua and she is going to try to move past it and get on with her life. Jack ends up in an awkward position holding Marshall and Carrie's daughter Kate. Weiss talks to Sydney and reminds her that because Kat and Joshua's birthdays were really only a day apart; Kat was in fact only 12 when she had him. He also finds out that Sydney hasn't ever talked to Kat about Joshua, nor has she told Vaughn that Joshua is alive. Kat joins them followed by Will. JJ, having been transferred to LA to work at JTF surprised Kat and calls her Baby, a nickname she obtained after they watched Dirty Dancing at The Farm. He tells everyone about Kat's undercover exercise as a nightclub singer at The Farm. Jack takes great delight in depositing Baby Kate on Vaughn's lap. Despite Kat's objections they convince her to sing. She sings "Can't Hurry Love" "Good Mother," changing the word mother to father or sister offering more meaning to Jack and Sydney and to her life. Jack and Sydney quietly discuss Kat's hatred of Irina and Jack informs Sydney that Kat is more scared of turning out like Irina, than she actually is afraid of her. After Kat is finished singing, Sydney gets her, as they will cut the cake in a few minutes and briefly questions her about her relationship with JJ. To Sydney's surprise Kat informs her that JJ is gay. After cake, she opens presents and receives a stationary set from Weiss, a Faberge carousel from an unknown person and a key on a string from Jack and Sydney. Jack takes Kat home and in the car questions any new memories. She only has one, the name Mishca. Kat doesn't recognise the surroundings and asks Jack where they are going. She falls asleep before hearing his answer of "Home." When they get "Home" Kat's asleep and Jack carries her out of the car, but a nosy neighbour interrupts him. Kat wakes up and is confused having no idea where they are. Jack instructs her to open the front door of a house using her key. It's the house that Sydney grew up in. Kat explores the house finding an office for herself, her musical instruments, and a newly decorated bedroom. She plays moonlight sonata on the piano but stops halfway through and tells Jack that it was Irina who sent the Faberge Carousel. She asks him if he hated her before they found out she was his daughter and he tells her the truth.

Chapter Fifty Seven

Weiss and Kat are on a simple reconnaissance operation and Kat thought she might have recognised one of Viktor Melnikov's guards so they dye her hair red just in case. Weiss notices that Kat is "off" and quieter than usual but she tells him that nothing is wrong and questions his trust. Kat slips away from the party and heads to the meeting she will be spying on. Kat takes pictures of the two men and is made. She runs and is chased by both men. She is caught by one and fights with him. Weiss is outside in the security van and goes after her. The team at the JTF recognizes Sark, but it's too late for Kat as he gets control and points a gun at her. He wants the camera and Kat is having difficulty concentrating. She moves to hand him the camera but begins a Shakespeare quote. She sees that Sark is having a reaction to her words and she calls him Julian. He calls her Katia and her communications link to Weiss and baseops is severed.

Chapter Fifty Eight

Sark suddenly realizes why Sydney seemed familiar years before he met her younger sister and realizes that Kat is the young girl from his recent dreams of when he was a child. Kat hugs him and is confused and crying, unsure of what is going on and she asks Julian to tell her. He doesn't, instead he walks away. The baseops team has video surveillance footage so they saw what happened but Kat turned off her com link so they couldn't hear. Weiss runs into Sark, they fight and Sark knocked Weiss down, running off before he can get back up. Weiss finds a photograph Sark dropped and picks it up before going in search of Kat. He finds her alone and unharmed. In LA Jack is having trouble believing what happened between Kat and Sark and that Kat willingly let him go. Weiss and Kat are on the plane going home. Kat has been avoiding him and prior to their flight home he heard her crying in the hotel bedroom for hours. He watched the security footage on his laptop and is wondering what Kat is hiding from him and he feels really hurt watching Kat hug Sark, the enemy. They talk and Kat shocks him by telling him that she knows Julian would never hurt her, but she's not sure how or why or when she knew him. Weiss warns her of a probable investigation into her actions. He shows her the picture he found on Sark and Kat identifies the girl as herself, but asks him not to tell anyone about the picture. Kat sits with Weiss and he comforts her and she tells him that he is her safe place. Kat is asleep when they land and Jack comes on board to talk to Weiss. He explains that the NSC is on a mole hunt and due to the failed operation and Kat is becoming the center of the mole hunt in addition to her behaviour changes since returning from training at The Farm. Kat wakes and Jack asks her what she remembers. She just remembers that Sark's name is Julian, she knew him from when she was a child and Alexander Khasinau used to dye her hair red when she was a child. Two security officers show up and Kat is being taken into custody under the Patriot Act under suspicion of treason against the United States Government.

Chapter Fifty Nine

Kat is being held in the prison at the JTF in LA. in the same cell Irina had been held in. Vaughn meets her and reflects on her resemblance to Irina. Kat tells him that she is not her mother. Vaughn tells her what's been happening. Missions have been compromised in the last few weeks, all centering around info Kat had access too. Shortly before Kat and Weiss' two undercover agents working in Columbia in a Covenant based operation were killed. Branden of the NSC found information implicating Kat as the sender of a transmission to The Covenant naming the agents as CIA. Kat protests telling him that she is not a traitor. Everyone's clearance to see Kat has been revoked except his because he hadn't seen Branden yet. Everyone is protesting the arrest including Dixon and Dr. Barnet, but Branden has good evidence and The Senate Advisory Committee is even questioning her initial recruitment. Branden shows up at her cell and Kat's personality changes as she becomes cold, and defiant, an entirely different person. Vaughn is surprised as he's never been witness to her personality changes and Kendall and Lindsey are surprised as well. As Vaughn is about to leave Kat asks him to tell Sydney and Jack that she is okay and to ask Weiss to make copies of the pictures she wanted. Branden pulls her out of the cell to interrogate her himself.

In Italy Sark questions reflects on the events, which have passed, and exactly who Katia/Katarina Bristow is. He examines an old Shakespeare book and finds a sticky red mark. He's sure that it is from a cherry lollypop. He calls a contact and identifies himself as Anotonio Matrusca requesting all information on Katarina Bristow.

Vaughn meets Jack, Sydney, Weiss, Will and Carrie at a warehouse and tells them about his meeting with Kat. Jack and Weiss quickly determine that Kat was lying to Vaughn about something because she was tapping her left index finger, which is a signal when she lies. Marshall shows up and tells them information he found that proves Kat couldn't have sent the communication to The Covenant but the evidence is not good enough. JJ shows up with information about Kat.

Chapter Sixty  
JJ tells him what he was told by his "friend" Garcia in security about what went on during Kat's interrogation, which the end result was Kat being knocked unconscious by Branden. Vaughn tells Weiss what Kat had said about the photographs and Weiss recognizes it as a code to tell someone about the picture he found of Kat and Sark. Devlin arranges for Sydney and Jack to see Kat and everyone leaves, but Weiss talks to Jack before doing so and shows him the picture of Kat and Sark.

Sydney and Jack go to see Kat and find her rather beat up. They question her and ask who she is protecting, but Kat denies that she is protecting anyone and Sydney and Jack know she's lying because they can see her tapping her finger in a repetitive pattern. They get into a shouting match with Kat continuously denying that she is protecting Sark. Finally she yells at Jack to stop because she won't betray Julian. Branden hears this and sees it as an admission of guilt. Branden informs Kat that she is being transferred to Camp Harris for unrestricted interrogation to determine the extent of her betrayal.

Weiss is driving in the car behind Kat's transfer van as she's being transferred to Camp Harris. The transfer van is attacked. One of the attackers is trying to get into the transfer van and Kat manages to get a hold of a gun from one of the unconscious guards. She points the gun at the person who breaks in. Kat isn't sure whether to trust the woman or to shoot her and the woman tells her to trust her now and ask questions later. The woman frees her and tells her to struggle against her as she pulls her from the van. A man takes a hold of Kat and begins dragging her to their own van. Kat sees Weiss running towards them aiming a gun and the woman aims her gun and shoots Weiss. That is the last thing that Kat sees before being knocked unconscious.

END


End file.
